Harry Potter and the Vampire Clan Saleio
by The Black Iris
Summary: Fully preparing to return to Hogwarts to face whatever Fate has in store for him after the events of his fifth year, Harry unwittingly gets swept up into another adventure, but this time Voldemort nor the Wizarding World have anything to do with it.
1. You Are Mine

**Harry Potter and the Vampire Clan Saleio**

_**Author's Note**__: Hello everyone! This story takes place before the last two books in the series; therefore consider them nonexistent and the story AU. For the most part, Harry is away from Hogwarts and can be a bit out of character from typical cannon. Also, this story is un-beta'd, so if you come across some errors that would be why, I do try to catch what I can when I do my own editing. Lastly, there are several warnings attached to this story, so check them out below. As always, I love constructive reviews, but please I don't want to waste my time reading blatantly hurtful ones that I just delete anyway. Hope you enjoy. :)_

_**Author's Warnings**__: AU/ No HBP or DH/ Mild Slash and Het, and I mean mild, no graphics here/ Violence/ Death/ Strong Language/ Mention of Non-consensual Sex/ And anything else I come up with will be at the top of the relevant chapter._

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter One – You Are Mine

The setting sun cast a deep red haze over the smallest bedroom of Number Four, Privet Drive. It was August 31st, just a night before Harry Potter would be free from his summer prison, and he was slouched over his fifth year potions text, diligently trying to memorize every detail, or at least that is how it appeared.

In actuality, Harry's mind was wandering as it often did these days. His thoughts tonight however, weren't following their normal patterns. He wasn't thinking of his deceased godfather, blaming himself for his death. He was long past that stage of grieving. He wasn't ruminating over the prophecy Dumbledore had laid on him at the end of the school year. Trying to find a way around his fate; trying to determine if he actually believed in fate. He'd already thought way too much on that particular subject. He wasn't mulling over the coming school year and all that the Headmaster wanted him to do, Occlumency, extra Defense classes, trying to find a way to understand and defeat his enemy. His mind wasn't even on Voldemort and what the Dark Lord was plotting for his future demise.

Instead, Harry was pondering what the world would be like if he had been born Dudley Dursley instead of Harry Potter. This thought had come upon him suddenly when he'd looked out his bedroom window for any sign of his owl and saw his cousin with his typical group of friends, laughing at some joke or story, carefree, and generally happy. Dudley always got everything he wanted. He was spoiled. He was loved. Dudley was everything Harry wasn't. Really, next to Dudley, Harry was nothing. A scrap of a boy who was loved by only a few, worshiped or shunned by everyone else. He was popular only because of an accident of circumstance and nothing he actually did. Dudley's friends looked up to Dudley. Harry's friends looked up to the Boy Who Lived. The amount of people Harry was sure really cared for him, Harry, and not the Boy Who Lived, he could just about count on one hand.

Harry supposed he had a few things going for him that Dudley couldn't match up to. He was a fairly good Quidditch player. He was in shape, if only because his life kept him moving. He wasn't terrible academically, even if Hermione was there to help him out quite a bit. He did have everything he needed to survive and always would because of his parents. But when it came to his actual wants, he had nothing. Maybe it was because his wants weren't generally realistic, like every normal person. Was it so much to ask though, to actually get something he wanted and not just something he needed, every once in a while.

Harry shook his wandering thoughts aside, and tried to focused back on his potions book, determined to know this stuff backwards and forwards before classes began. But it wasn't long before Harry's focus wavered again and the words before him blurred as his mind picked up another round of thoughts. This time his thoughts centered on Dumbledore, the man he had once looked at as his mentor. Harry had hoped to be away from his aunt and uncle's house weeks ago. Professor Dumbledore, however, felt it safer for Harry to remain the entire summer after the incident in the Department of Mysteries. He of course didn't inform Harry of this until just a few days ago.

Harry knew Dumbledore was only looking out for his safety, and he most certainly took the threat that Voldemort represented seriously, but he missed his friends. He was bored out of his mind, and he could only take so much of the verbal abuse and insults his so-called _family_ threw at him daily. When he was younger, he could leave the house to get away for a while. Hide in the park, or stay at school longer, but this confinement for his own good was long past starting to wear on him. He wanted to know what was going on in the world, he wanted to know how his friends really were, he wanted…

Harry huffed in annoyance and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. It didn't matter what he wanted. It had never mattered. As much as Harry couldn't wait for school to start again, at the same time, he wished he could just disappear from the Wizarding World entirely. He wouldn't have to worry about what Dumbledore wanted him to do. He wouldn't have to worry about Voldemort or some stupid prophecy. He wouldn't have to worry about someone else dying while rescuing him from his own stupid actions…

Harry closed his eyes with a heavy sigh. Simply put, he wouldn't have to worry.

Harry tried once again to focus on the book in front of him, but was distracted suddenly as a tawny barn owl landed on the windowsill of his open window with a letter in its claws. Harry reached over his desk and took the letter, giving the owl a treat from Hedwig's empty cage. His owl had been gone almost five days now and he was concerned about her, worried she wouldn't return in time to leave for school. The barn owl hooted happily and then took off again. Harry watched it go for a moment and then opened the letter. It was from Hermione.

_Hello Harry,_

_I'm sorry I have to say this first, and it's not just from me, but Ron and Ginny as well. Your last letter was a little uncalled for. I know you are upset about not being able to come to the Burrow, and that you have to continue Remedial Potions with Professor Snape again, but please try not to take it out on us. You know we have nothing to do with what Professor Dumbledore decides. Mrs. Weasley really did try and convince Dumbledore to let you come for this last week at least, we all did, but as you know, he insisted it was safer for you to stay where you are._

Harry sighed and put the letter down. The last letter he had written his friends was uncalled for. He'd regretted writing it the moment he'd sent it, but he couldn't take it back. He'd been angry when he'd written it, and blamed his friends for not wanting him there. Again, he hadn't heard much from his friends this summer; a letter every so often, but with nothing substantial in it for fear of it being intercepted. Harry picked Hermione's letter back up and continued reading, resolved to apologize to Ron, Ginny, and her tomorrow on the train. He was glad they were calling him on his attitude. They let him get away with far too much last year.

_On to happier things, we went to Diagon Alley today. Mrs. Weasley insisted on buying your things, but I managed to convince her to let us stop by your vault as you asked. I picked up your school supplies for you, but I forgot to ask if you needed new robes. I figured you would have said something if you did, so I didn't get those, but I got an owl order catalog just in case. I got all of your books and restocked your potions supplies, parchments, and quills, and I threw in a new planner. I hope you don't mind, I saw your last one, and well… I'll give them to you on the train tomorrow._

_Like Ron and I, you are probably still working on your potions essay; you might as well stop. I finished mine an hour ago, finally. I can't believe I wasn't able to get it done at the beginning of the summer. I'll help you on the train tomorrow. The answer to the essay assignment isn't in any of our old school books; it's in the sixth year text. The assignment is long, but it shouldn't take you the entire trip. It's mostly background information. Ron's still working on his too, he says hello._

_I can't wait to see you tomorrow, and do NOT forget to have your OWL scores ready, you have kept them from me long enough! I am glad you did well in Potions, but I want to know what you got for everything else. It's driving me mad not knowing!_

_No need to respond to this, I'll see you tomorrow at Kings Cross. Ron says don't be late, he'd hate for you to have to arrive by flying car again. I'll kindly remind him that flying his father's car to Hogwarts was his idea. I wonder if that car is still in the forest…_

_Anyway, have a lovely evening, see you tomorrow,_

_Love, Hermione (and Ron)_

Harry shook his head in amusement. He wished he could be at the Burrow with them, but if his presence meant Death Eater's possibly attacking, he didn't want to put them in any more danger. He missed his friends and they alone were one of the only reasons Harry hadn't fled after hearing the prophecy. That and he couldn't in good conscious leave the Wizarding World to fend off the murderer of his parents, when apparently he was the only one able to stop him.

Harry closed the letter and put it with his others in his already neatly packed trunk, and then returned to his fifth year potions book, again. Harry hadn't gotten the grade to get into Snape's class as he had told Ron and Hermione. Dumbledore had ordered Snape to let him in regardless. Harry could care less about being let into Severus Snape's potions class or not, but as the professor was bowing to Dumbledore's demands, he figured he'd at least put in some effort. Maybe he'd even surprise Snape with how much he'd learned over the summer.

Harry scoffed; he doubted it. The man had been dead set against him since his very first potions class. He _couldn't _wait for his first Occlumency lesson this semester. It was simply _lovely_ to have Snape privy to his every memory. If he didn't attack his professor in the first lesson, it would be a miracle. And the lecture he knew was coming was going to be hell to sit through without rolling his eyes. Although, he was going to honestly apologize for snooping into Snape's memories. He'd had no right, and knew he was wrong, about that at the very least.

Harry was interrupted from his thoughts by the thumping of his uncle storming up the stairs quite loudly. Harry looked over at his barely functioning clock and cursed his inability to pay attention to his surroundings. It was nearing seven o'clock, which meant the Thurlows and Vernon's new business partner would be arriving any minute. His uncle was probably coming up to warn him against making any noise.

Or not, Harry smiled slightly as Hedwig flew back into his window with a letter attached to her claws. His smile faded. Vernon had probably seen his distinctly colored bird, which of course meant that the neighbors would too. It would only figure that he'd notice Hedwig and not Hermione's owl. Harry quickly grabbed the letter from Hedwig's claws and very nearly stuffed the startled and indignant bird into her cage.

"Sorry," he whispered as he closed her in her cage. He quickly closed his potion's book, leaving the letter in the pages of his book to mark his page and so he wouldn't forget to read the letter later. Harry left his room not a moment later, and intercepted his uncle so he wouldn't come barging into his room like he usually did. His uncle would go ballistic if he saw Harry's _magic books_ lying about in plain sight.

Harry stopped in the hall, pulling his hair back into an elastic so it wouldn't bother his uncle as much; he'd been needing a haircut for a while, but wouldn't let his aunt and her shears anywhere near his head again. "I'm sorry, Uncle Vernon, she's been gone all week, but she's in her cage now and won't go out again tonight," he said as politely as he could manage.

"She bloody better well stay there, boy, or I won't be driving you to the train tomorrow. I don't care what those freaks say; you're in no more danger than any average juvenile delinquent," Vernon spat.

Harry gnashed his teeth together to keep himself from talking back to his uncle. One more night, that was all, one more night and then he'd be on the train, back to where he belonged, and not have to worry about his uncle's insults for an entire school year.

"I don't want to hear one peep from you or that bloody bird tonight. I won't have you messing up this partnership! If your aunt hadn't been bullied into taking you in all those years ago I'd have thrown you to the streets like the trash you are," Vernon hissed and turned to leave.

"I'm not the one who's trash," Harry muttered, a bit too loudly. He snapped his mouth shut and cursed under his breath as his uncle swung back around, his face turning a precarious shade of purple. Why couldn't he hold his tongue? He thought he would have learned that lesson over the last year.

"What did you just say?" Vernon asked in a very dangerous tone.

"Nothing," Harry said hastily, and turned to go back to his room before he got himself in any more trouble.

"You, boy, are just like your entire useless family!" Vernon spat, but Harry ignored him with effort and opened his bedroom door. "I won't be surprised when you turn out like that worthless criminal of a godfather of yours –"

Harry spun back around. "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about Sirius! He was ten times the man you are!" He yelled angrily and fought back his tears. He tightened his fists at this side, forcing himself not to strike his uncle in his anger.

"Don't you yell at me, boy! You're lucky I haven't chucked you out after what you did to Dudley last summer! I should have had you arrested. Dudley hasn't been the same since, and it's all _your_ fault!" Vernon raged.

"Oh please, Dudley's still his happy spoiled rotten self. And it wasn't my fault, I told you, it was the Dementors! If I hadn't used magic –"

"Don't you dare say that word in my house!" Vernon nearly screamed as he backhanded Harry across the face, hard.

Harry staggered back into the wall as he brought his hand up to his split lip and swelling cheek. He felt like he'd just been hit by a hammer. He'd been hit by his uncle before, but never that hard. Harry looked up to his enraged uncle coldly and something snapped in him as he felt his magic flare up around him and then his uncle suddenly wasn't standing there anymore.

Harry blinked in confusion down the hall as all his anger evaporated as quickly as it had come. He crept shakily to the top of the stairs and looked down. His uncle lay at an unnatural angle, unmoving at the bottom of the staircase. He'd heard him hit the floor, he'd heard the crack, but he hadn't seen him move. Harry's confusion suddenly turned to horror as he realized what he had just done and he staggered back against the wall as panic started to take over.

"No," he whispered to himself, swallowing thickly.

The doorbell suddenly rang, sounding ten times louder than it actually was. "Vernon, dear, can you get that?"

Harry heard his aunt move from the kitchen when she didn't get an answer. He quickly pushed off the wall and practically ran to his room. He had to get out of here, he had to get to the Order… he had…

Harry fell to his hands and knees and suddenly threw up what little he had in his stomach on his bedroom floor.

_Oh God, he had just killed his uncle!_

"Vernon!" Petunia screamed from down stairs, shaking Harry out his catatonia.

Harry grabbed one of Dudley's old shirts from his dirty laundry pile and wiped himself clean. Then he grabbed his wand, and throwing the restriction for underage wizardry to the wind, packed the rest of his belongings into his trunk with a quick incantation.

Harry slammed his trunk shut and picked up Hedwig's cage, and levitated both out the window. He cast a cushioning charm on the ground and followed his belongings. He landed softly in the back yard, cast a lightening charm on his trunk, and grabbed Hedwig's cage. Pulling his trunk behind him, Harry ran from Privet Drive as fast as his legs would carry him.

He was nearly a block away when he heard the sirens. He stopped briefly to look over his shoulder nervously, and then he shakily raised his wand. The Knight Bus banged into existence a moment later and Harry shoved passed Stan Shunpike with his belongings, not bothering to listen to the man's introduction.

In his haste, Harry didn't notice Remus Lupin walk out into the light of a nearby street lamp with a very confused look on his face.

"Ottery St. Catchpoll," Harry muttered as he sat down, keeping his head bowed, hiding his face and most specifically his scar as best he could under the hood of his oversized sweatshirt.

"Sure," Stan said irritably and the bus banged back into movement, nearly causing Harry to topple over his trunk and Hedwig's cage to fall over.

Harry fished into his jeans pocket and was relieved to see he had just a little over what was needed to pay the Knight Bus. He handed it over with shaking hands, without a word, and without looking up. Stan was just about to question him when the bus abruptly came to a stop and two more passengers got on, one of them being a rather smelly hag. Stan seemed to forget all about Harry after that and Harry kept to himself the rest of the shorter than normal trip.

When the bus finally arrived, Harry dragged his trunk off the bus and then just stood on the street corner, staring in the direction he knew the Burrow to be. He stood there until long after the Knight Bus had disappeared and then some. He'd been carefully keeping his mind blank the entire bus ride, but now his panic and shock was subsiding, and what he'd done really settled in.

What was he doing? He'd just run from one of the few safe places he had left, and was he even running to a safer place? What were they going to think of him when he told them what he'd just done? What would they do? Harry felt like he was going to be sick again and swallowed hard against the knot in his dry throat. It didn't matter what they thought, what they did. He had nowhere else to go.

Taking a deep breath, Harry released Hedwig to fly ahead so it would be obvious to the Weasley's that it was him when he arrived unexpected, and then he started the trek to the Burrow on shaky legs. Ten minutes later, Harry nearly cried in relief when he finally saw the Burrow looming unsteadily ahead at the end of the lane. He'd been looking over his shoulder since he'd started walking sure that someone was following him, though he didn't see anyone. He continued to drag his trunk faster.

Harry angrily wiped a tear away as it slid down his cheek, and then nearly dropped his trunk when he tripped over the uneven ground. He stopped where he was, staring at the Burrow. Why was he even crying? He shouldn't be crying. He didn't deserve to cry, not after what he'd just done. He didn't know what he was going to say to them. He hadn't meant to kill his uncle, but he had. It had been an accident, hadn't it? Would they understand that, did he?

Harry righted himself and Hedwig's empty cage and then he sat down heavily on the lane. He clutched the handle of his trunk as if it was the only thing holding him to Earth and put his head in his other hand, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to get his breathing under control. He prayed that when he opened his eyes he'd be at his desk on Privet Drive, that he hadn't killed his uncle, and all of this had been a horrible nightmare.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head. He saw the Burrow in front of him, Mrs. Weasley's silhouette in the lit up kitchen window. He let out a chocked sob and pounded the ground with his shaking fist. Why couldn't he get what he wanted, just this once? Harry looked up to the sky as rain started to fall and lightning lit up the night sky. He let the rain soak his face and hair for a long while and then finally pushed himself back to his feet. He had to face them, there wasn't any other option.

Before Harry could continue on, however, an owl appeared out of the night sky and dropped a letter into his hands before disappearing again. Harry looked at the seal and then tore the letter from the Ministry of Magic in half. He didn't have to open it to know that it was another letter telling him that he was expelled for the use of magic outside of school. He let the letter drop to the ground.

"It's probably just as well," he muttered to himself, and started to drag his trunk again, as he focused on the Burrow in front of him through his dripping fringe. He picked up his pace when he saw Remus move aside the curtain in the kitchen window and then quickly move away from the window when he saw him.

Remus had just opened the door, when Harry was suddenly knocked backwards off his feet, so fast that his breath was forced from his lungs when he hit the ground hard.

"Harry!" Remus shouted with clear fear in his voice.

Harry coughed to catch his breath as he looked around wildly to see what had hit him, but all he saw was darkness. He shook his head dizzily and then pushed himself back up again. He looked around again as he stood, but there was nothing out there. Harry saw Remus scanning the sky as he ran towards him with his wand drawn.

Harry heard a low growl from behind him and before he had the chance to spin around, he was grabbed around his waist and dragged backwards into the woods that bordered the lane. He kicked and punched at his attacker and then abruptly and painfully found himself thrown to the ground. Harry groaned and quickly grabbed for his wand. He'd just gotten it into his hand when it was ripped from his grasp and he was suddenly pinned to the ground with a strong hand around his throat, cutting off his airway. He could hear Remus yelling his name as he tried desperately to take air into his lungs.

Harry's eyes widened in terror as the man – creature – above him growled deeply and stroked down with huge black wings, picking them both up from the ground. Pearl what fangs lengthened and glistened in the lightning flashing through the sky and Harry clawed desperately at the hand cutting off his air and then struggled as he was taken into strong arms and pulled flush against a hard body.

"Relax, this will only hurt for a moment, my son," the creature hissed into his ear.

Harry struggled harder and tried to call out for Remus, but his scream was silenced before it could even leave his throat, as teeth sunk into his neck with a searing pain. Harry's struggles ceased as he felt himself weakening as his blood was drained from him. He fell limp in the other's arms and just before darkness claimed him, he heard in his mind a whispered. "_You are mine_."

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	2. A New Life

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Two – A New Life

Harry awoke with a start and immediately sat up at the unfamiliar… everything.

It wasn't just the setting. It was his entire being.

His skin, his entire body felt different to him. He felt stronger, healthier, and his senses were over active too. He could feel every fiber of the soft fabric beneath his hands. The still air against his bare chest was almost painful, his skin was so sensitive, and his bones no longer ached from past mishaps. He could see differently, not just clearly, but more acutely. The red color of the fabric pooled at his waist had a sharpness to it that Harry had never seen in any color before.

He raised his eyes to look around him and nearly yelled aloud in surprise as his eyes darted around the room quickly, too quickly, taking in each little detail in seconds. He closed his eyes tightly and took in a deep breath to calm himself, and nearly choked on all the scents that came to his nose at once, and then he snapped his eyes open again when sounds suddenly came to his ears, and he realized that they weren't sounds from anywhere around him. Even his mind seemed to be clearer. He was thinking as fast as his senses took in everything in the room. He could sense he wasn't alone, yet the room was empty of anyone but himself.

The most significant thing though, besides his body feeling different, was that he no longer felt the heavy presence of his connection with the Dark Lord. He felt whole, new, free… It was absolutely terrifying. And what was worse, he couldn't remember how he'd gotten here, wherever here was.

Harry looked around the brightly sunlit room again, this time slowly. The room was spacious and luxurious; something he might find in the house of a Malfoy or maybe even the Queen of England. The furniture, from the bed he was in, to the bookcases, desk and end tables looked to be expensive, antique, in rich redwood. Even the white walls themselves were decorated with gold embellishments. This was the type of room one would find in a palace. There was nothing familiar to him. Nothing that indicated where he was, why he felt so strange, why he was only in his pants… or rather someone else's pants, as he certainly didn't own a pair this silky.

Harry carefully got out of bed and walked cautiously towards the large set of windows that took up nearly all of one of the walls of the bedroom. He marveled as he moved, at the feel of not just his own body, but he could feel every movement as he walked, the still air shifting over his skin, the warmth of the sun filtering through the panes of the windows. It was amazing the sensations that came to him all at once, but unnerving at the same time.

He looked outside into the sun-drenched countryside, blinking briefly as the light penetrated his over sensitive eyes. He could see rolling hills and mountains and dense, dark forests for as far as his eyes could see. But where was he? How had he gotten here? Harry stared out the window, trying to remember something, anything that would explain his current situation. The last thing he remembered was studying his potion's text in his room on Privet Drive. There was nothing after that. He knew there should be something, but his mind was drawing up a complete blank. Almost as if his memories abruptly ended, like he'd been Obliviated of everything afterwards. And maybe he had. He could have lost hours or days!

"You are awake," a richly cultured voice said from behind him and Harry spun around faster than he thought should be possible. "Do not be afraid, my son, I have not come to harm you."

"Son?" asked Harry edgily as he took a step back. He felt as if he should be bowing or kneeling, so much was the unassailable feeling of influence, power coming from this man. Harry quelled his instincts. He'd never willingly bowed to anyone, and he wasn't going to start now. "Where am I, who are you and what've you done to me?" Harry demanded, his voice rising with the last question.

The man smirked, it wasn't a cruel smirk, like Snape often gave him, but more of an amused smirk. "My name is Aurelius. I am the Father of the Vampire Clan Saleio and I have made you… better."

Harry narrowed his eyes at the… Vampire, if one could call him that. He certainly didn't look like any Vampire Harry had ever read about. He had some of the qualities, but others… He was tall, with long black hair that hung straight around his thin, but handsomely perfect face, and over his shoulders. And his eyes… his eyes were like the color of the Killing Curse, bright and hypnotic, deadly. He wore white robes that flowed around him and added to the overall appeal of him. But what stuck out the most, were the large sleek black feathered wings that were held tightly against his back, they were beautiful, and made the man look even more intimidating than he already was, an avenging angel.

"Better?" Harry asked quietly, as a memory of those wings lifting him into the air flashed through his mind, followed by gleaming white fangs…

"I have turned you into one of us, you are now my Blood Childe, a Vampire," Aurelius said imperiously and Harry's eyes snapped away from the wings to stare into Aurelius' eyes.

"No, that's impossible." Harry shook his head in denial and took another step away. "I'm not a… I'm breathing; I can feel my heart beating! I'm standing in the sun!" Harry shouted with growing panic, trying to reason that he couldn't possibly be what Aurelius said he was, as his knowledge dictated otherwise. The last thing he remembered he was in his room on Privet Drive. How could he now be a Vampire?

"Yes, you are. I will explain everything. However, you will not be able to understand much of anything I tell you very shortly," said Aurelius calmly, matter-a-fact like, though with a glint in his eyes that Harry did not like at all.

"W-why?" he asked shakily, taking yet another step further away from the Vampire.

Aurelius smirked as Harry stepped into view of a ceiling to floor length mirror. "You will see."

Harry stared at the man oddly, but his gaze was quickly drawn to his own image. He almost thought he was looking at a moving picture, but then he saw his eyes, the same as they had always been. They seemed the only thing that hadn't changed about him. Harry's mouth hung open as he took in his new appearance. No wonder he felt so strange.

He'd grown taller, by at least three or four inches, and his muscles were more tone, almost chiseled under his porcelain pale skin. Harry moved his hands over his torso in wonderment. His skin was so smooth; there wasn't a blemish in sight, no scars, and no bruises. Harry ran his hand through his hair, and was caught off guard by how fine and silky it was, and it was longer, it had grown at least three inches from the day before and it no longer fell in scraggly waves, but straight down his back and over his shoulders, like Aurelius'.

Harry slowly lifted his gaze from his hair and settled them on his forehead. Somehow, he knew it wouldn't be there, but he took a startled step back and stared in shock just the same. The lightning bolt scar that had for so long revealed who he was to the Wizarding World and marked him as a symbol since he was one year old, was completely gone. Harry looked at his hand, where the scar 'I must not tell lies,' was scratched into his hand, but that too was gone, as was the one at the crook of his elbow, where Wormtail had taken his blood to resurrect his master. All of his old wounds were healed.

A small smile came to his slightly pale lips as he continued to stare at his reflection. He was so different, yet he felt as if this was truly him, how he was meant to be. His smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come, as he realized what had brought about these changes. He was a Vampire. He'd been turned into a bloody Vampire!

"Amazing, is it not?" Aurelius suddenly whispered into his ear, and Harry stiffened as smooth hands were placed firmly on his bare shoulders, making his skin tingle at the contact.

"No," Harry whispered shakily. "What have you turned me into?"

"You already know, you feel it in your veins, in every cell of your body, in your soul. Your mind may not yet have accepted the change, but the rest of you is relishing in it," Aurelius hissed into his ear as he stared intensely at him in the mirror.

Harry felt a connection between them as he stared into Aurelius' eyes, but this wasn't like his connection with Voldemort. This one was far different; it was almost like it embraced him. Harry felt no malicious intent from Aurelius. It was almost as if this man, Vampire, felt fondness for him.

A smile came to Aurelius' lips. "You feel our connection already; you have a very powerful mind, young one."

Harry was completely unnerved by that smile and he lowered his eyes from Aurelius' and moved away from the Vampire edgily. He walked towards the window again, doing his best to ignore Aurelius as he stood there just watching him with guarded eyes, waiting; for what, Harry didn't know.

Harry looked out the window again, with his arms crossed over his bare chest. He didn't know what to make of any of this. A Vampire that could walk in the day, was it even possible? All of his knowledge was telling him no, but he felt as if this was natural, that what he'd been turned into was the truth and what he once knew was all a lie. And Aurelius was correct, his mind may not have accepted it, but the rest of him was relishing in it.

He wanted to reject what he now was, but at the same time, part of him was screaming for him to embrace it. A small part of his mind was telling him that this was his opportunity to free himself from Dumbledore, Voldemort; his duty to the Wizarding World, his fate. He may not have wanted to be turned into a Vampire, but at the same time, maybe this was exactly what he wanted. Something to take him away from his suffocating life…

Harry shook his head and closed his eyes. That was not what he wanted. _This_ was not what he wanted. He wanted to be with his friends on the way to Hogwarts, back to the Wizarding World where he belonged, even if his life was in turmoil there.

Harry opened his eyes and turned back to Aurelius. He opened his mouth to demand where he was, when he suddenly felt winded and it quickly got worse as he was rapidly starved of all oxygen. "What?" Harry managed to gasp out before a cramp formed in his stomach and then spread quickly to every muscle in his body. He doubled over as the pain consumed him whole.

Harry groaned and clenched his teeth, hastily unclenching them as he felt fangs pierce into his lower lip, drawing blood, that tasted not like blood at all, but pure sunlight. He closed his eyes tightly, wishing the pain away. What was this? It was worse than the Cruciatus Curse. What was happening to him? Why couldn't he breathe? He felt like he was dying.

Arms suddenly came around his torso, and Harry struggled briefly against the fire that spread over his skin from the contact, before stilling altogether, as he felt someone else enter the room, and knew instantly that this being would make his pain go away. He tried to move towards the source, but the arms held him strongly, as a voice entered into his mind and ears all at once.

"This is the _Blood Rage_, feel it Childe, and embrace it. You must never let this consume you again. I will let you feed, but you must catch your prey. Open your senses; your prey is standing in front of you. Smell him, feel him; see him. _He is yours_!"

Harry snapped open his eyes, a red tinted hue covered everything as he looked upon the man, the mortal, held strongly in front of him. He felt his muscles strain under his skin as the fiery pain continued. He tried again to get out of Aurelius' hold, but the Vampire refused to release him. The mortal cried out in a language Harry didn't know as he struggled in the other Vampire's hold and stared back at him fearfully with wide hazel eyes. Harry growled deep in his throat at the other Vampire holding what was _his_. Suddenly the man was released and Harry struggled to be released as well as he ran from the room.

"Please," he begged as the mortal disappeared out the door. They were letting him get away!

Aurelius' arms held him tighter and soft breathing came into his ear. "You are not an animal. You are a Vampire, a true predator. You choose what to eat. _Catch him, drain him; kill him._ He is yours to do with what you want, but _only him_, _no other_!"

Harry found himself cringing at the compulsion being pressed into his mind. And then he was suddenly released. He turned and looked into his Sire's glowing silver-green eyes, understanding his orders completely. He spun away and growled at the other Vampire standing there.

"_He is mine_!" he hissed quietly, but with a power that sent the other flying into a bookcase and then Harry blurred as he sprinted out of the room, leaving Aurelius staring in astonishment and awe as the other Vampire pushed himself dazedly back to his feet from a pile of splintered wood and fallen books.

Harry's mind was only on Aurelius' compulsion as he stopped at the end of the red-carpeted hallway and breathed in deeply. He felt as if he should push passed the compulsion, but didn't care to at the moment. He could smell many in rooms around him, on floors both above and below him. Some were like him, some were slightly different, and many more held the same sweet smelling scent as the one he hunted. But he was only focused on the one scent, now two floors below. He took off after it again, finding the stairs quickly, through the maze like corridors. Even though he'd never before been there, he knew exactly where to go.

He felt others come out of rooms behind him as he moved swiftly on bare feet. He could feel their curiosity, and knew they were coming out to watch. Three female mortals screamed when they saw him and ran down the stairs away from him. Harry sped passed them, ignoring them and the heady smell that came from them, and leapt over the stone railing. He relished the feel of the air flowing over his skin as he fell and then he was landing on the stairs two stories below in a crouch, right before the one he was seeking.

The man scrambled back up the stairs in pure terror as Harry stood fluidly. He let him try and flee as he watched him with interest, his head tilted slightly trying to understand the incoherent babble coming from the mortal's mouth, but again it was in another language. He did understand by his body language that he was probably pleading for his life, but Harry didn't understand why. He wasn't going to kill him. He only wanted his blood to stop the gnawing hunger. But he did admit that the fear the man was clearly feeling added an entirely different scent that made Harry's mouth water and made him want what was beneath his skin all the more.

Harry suddenly and instinctively concentrated on the man's mind, taking hold of it effortlessly. He somehow knew that if he didn't that he would hurt the man. "_Stop_," he whispered and the man stilled and stopped, looking back at him with glazed eyes. "_Come here_," he commanded lightly.

The man did as he was told and Harry gently wrapped his hand around the back of the mortal's neck, tilting his head to the side slightly. With his other hand, he pulled the mortal flush against him and breathed in his scent deeply, it was dark, rich like chocolate and the pain pulsing through him became even more.

He could feel and hear the man's heart beating steadily and swiftly, and could smell his sweet blood flowing through his veins. He needed that blood, wanted it. He released his hold on the mortal's mind enough for the man to understand him. "You're mine," he whispered and then sank his fangs deep into the man's neck.

The man gasped in pain and then moaned in pleasure as Harry let him feel what he was feeling. He took his fill, feeding his starving veins, diminishing the sharp pain in his muscles and the fire in his lungs. Enjoying the pleasure he was inflicting on the other as he stole his blood, which tasted of heaven. All too soon, he could feel the man beginning to weaken in his arms and he removed his fangs and kissed at the wound left behind. He knew exactly what to do as he sucked briefly, before he ran his tongue over the holes, closing and healing them. Harry released the man entirely and took a step back, basking in the power the fresh blood was giving him.

Aurelius appeared at the top of the curved stone stairs and stared down at Harry with bewilderment written across his face. Harry suddenly blinked and then took in a sharp breath as he came completely back to his own senses and realized what he had done, what he'd almost been forced to do. He looked to the mortal who was now staring at him in shock.

Clearly, he expected to be dead. Harry wasn't surprised, he could have killed him, had been ordered to, but he realized that the part of him that craved the blood so fiercely a moment ago, hadn't wanted to. He wanted the pleasure of taking the mortal's blood, but he found no sense in killing the man.

Harry glared at Aurelius angrily for a long moment and then tore his eyes away with a hiss. He looked at the mortal and then to the large front doors visible through a stone archway behind him. He turned back to the man. "Go," Harry said quietly, pointing towards the doors. The man hesitated. "You're free, leave," Harry bit out.

The man took a cautious step forward and then another and then he ran the rest of the way down the stairs and across the entrance hall, closing the door firmly behind him. Harry lowered his hand and stared at the floor. He wanted to follow the way the man had gone, but doubted Aurelius would even let him get to the door. He looked back up to his _Sire_, who walked down the stairs towards him. Harry could feel other's eyes on him, both mortal and Vampire alike, as he carefully followed Aurelius with his eyes, but he didn't give more than a glance up to see them leaning over the railings curiously. Harry was starting to remember the night of his turning, the woods, the Burrow.

"Amazing control," Aurelius whispered in awe as he approached. "You are quite powerful, Childe, and extraordinarily fast," he laughed shortly. "But why did you not drain him as I ordered?" he asked.

Harry frowned at Aurelius. "You may have made me a Vampire, but I am not a killer!" Harry hissed angrily. "Nor will I ever be one!"

"Oh, but you are," Aurelius whispered.

"I'm not," Harry stated firmly, though the glint in Aurelius' eyes gave him doubt. There was something he was missing, but what? "I saw no sense in his death," he answered honestly.

"Powerful and defiant, I chose you well. I was right in making you one of mine," Aurelius said lightly with a smirk on his lips.

"I don't belong to anyone, least of all you!" Harry snarled, feeling his fangs lengthen again as his anger grew, and a deep rumble came from his chest involuntarily. He heard gasps and shuffling and could feel even more eyes watching him. He didn't care as he turned to follow the path of the mortal.

"That is where you are wrong, my son," Aurelius whispered dangerously and Harry spun back around.

"Don't call me that! James Potter is my father. You are nothing!" Harry yelled taking a sudden notice of the nervousness and tenseness that had overtaken the hall as his anger boiled over. He wanted to launch himself at Aurelius, hit him, shred him to pieces… _kill him_.

Aurelius' wings suddenly flared out and then he blurred faster than Harry could see. He was standing directly in front of him in the next instant. His hand lashed out and fisted into Harry's hair as he yanked his head back, painfully exposing Harry's neck as he stared down into his eyes. "I am your _Sire_, your Master. I made you what you are and will become. You are _nothing_ without me!" Aurelius growled, pressing his mind into Harry's, making him shutter against his will. "I will call you whatever I wish. You belong to me, now and for all eternity! Do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," Harry hissed through clenched teeth as Aurelius forced his power down upon him, suffocating him. It took everything Harry possessed not to cringe away from that power; it terrified him, but at the same time, captivated him. No one he had ever met had power like that. Not Dumbledore, not even Lord Voldemort. And Harry found himself wanting it, craving it.

Aurelius loosened his hold on him, but didn't release him. He stared into Harry's anxious eyes for a long moment and then released him altogether. Harry straightened nervously, taking a step away. "Good, one lesson learnt, but there are many more to come."

Harry could only stare back at Aurelius tensely, realizing that this was his life now, and there was nothing he could do to escape it.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	3. Lessons

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Three – Lessons

Harry watched in fascination as rain splattered against his window. Each individual drop was so clear. He could see the fine amount of oil in each droplet and the kaleidoscope of colors his eyes had never been able to perceive before. It was amazing, but it was just another reminder of what he now was.

Harry stood in the same room he'd woken up in. His room, as he'd learned. He'd been a Vampire for just one week and he'd adjusted to the change like a fish out of water. Sure, his body, and as Aurelius had said, perhaps even his soul, had accepted what he now was, but his mind was far from embracing it. He still missed his old life, his friends, all the little everyday things he had taken for granted, but had no need of anymore. He missed being Human.

Harry was almost used to having to adjust to the unexpected. So much had happened in his life, how could he not be by now? But everything he was expected to do, everything he was expected to be, was now crashing down on him too fast. After his first hunt, Aurelius had given him one day, not nearly long enough, to adjust to what he now was and would forever be. He'd had little time to himself to just think since then. And maybe that was what Aurelius wanted, to not allow Harry time to dwell on all he was dwelling on now.

But Harry knew it was time for him to sort everything out, which was why he was staring out his window, when he should have been in Aurelius' study for another _lesson_. Harry was quite aware that he'd probably be punished, but he didn't care at the moment. He needed to be away from his _Master_, for a little while at the very least.

Harry looked passed the falling rain and moved to lean against the wall by his windows, still staring out over the forests he'd first woken up to. A lot had happened in the last week. The least of which was his memories of the night of his turning fully coming back to him.

At first, it had been flashes that left him confused. His argument with his uncle, riding the Knight Bus, seeing Remus, but then it had all come back to him. He'd killed his uncle. There was no love or even like between them, but Harry had never wished the man dead. He knew it had been an accident, he understood that now. There was likely nothing he could have done to prevent it, but he had still killed him.

And who would really believe it was an accident now anyway? He'd fled the scene, proving his guilt. That alone would automatically mark him as a murderer in the eyes of most of the Wizarding World. He'd never wanted to kill anyone, not even Voldemort, who he hated above anyone in the world for murdering his parents. He wasn't a killer, and as he'd told Aurelius, he'd never be one, no matter what he'd done in the past, no matter what anyone else believed.

During his one day of adjustment, after Harry had regained his memories, the first thing he'd wanted to do was contact Dumbledore, or the Weasley's, or Remus at the very least, to convince them that what he'd done was an accident, to let them know that he was alive. But Aurelius had forbid it.

Harry had shouted at Aurelius, argued with him, tried to convince him that just because he wasn't a Wizard anymore didn't mean that there weren't people out there looking for him. But Harry had been forced to give up with what he was told next. It was explained that he was now a day-wanderer, a species of Vampire long thought to be extinct, mainly because the Vampires wanted it so. The Wizarding World knew very little about them, but from old history books, and the Vampires liked to keep the misconception of their extinct status to themselves. Not even the night-walking Vampires Harry knew of from his Hogwarts studies knew about their day-wandering cousins.

Harry had learned that revealing that the day-wanderers still existed was one Vampire law punishable by death, but the life taken wasn't only the one who revealed the secret, but whomever they had revealed it to would also lose their life. It was the first time Harry had taken Aurelius' words to heart. He had told Harry that he was no longer a Wizard and that he should do his best to forget his past life, for he could never go back to it. It would be death to him and them if they realized what he now was.

It pained Harry greatly to think that he could never go back to his life, to his friends, to Hogwarts, but he accepted it if only so he didn't drive himself insane trying to find a way back. He knew he could never forget his past life as Aurelius wanted him to, but he'd never try to escape back to it, as everything in him told him to do.

Finally getting tired of staring out his window, he moved around his room in boredom. That was one of the problems with being a Vampire, he could concentrate on something for quite a while, but once he'd taken it all in, he got bored easily. He remembered every single detail of whatever he studied, so it was always the same afterwards.

Harry looked to his own reflection. He wasn't vain, but his image was the one thing he never got tired of looking at. Maybe because he was so different from who he had been, or maybe he just kept hoping he'd see his old self-looking back at him. He was dressed for the day, in expensive tailored clothing that he'd never thought he'd ever find himself wearing. His hair was tied back neatly with a black silk ribbon, and even his leather shoes were polished.

He was starting to feel like a bloody Malfoy and it made him feel filthy even if he had just taken a long bath. He simply put, wasn't cut out for the wealthy way of living. It didn't help that he equated money with all things arrogant and pureblood bigotry, which was odd because he did have a substantial amount of money left to him by his parents. Not that he'd actually seen or used much of it, nor would he ever likely see or use it again.

Harry turned from his mirror and decided he was going to explore for a bit while he avoided Aurelius and his lesson. He left his room and walked down the hall, passing other bedroom suites like his own, some occupied, most not. Harry had learned quickly that the Clan he was now a part of was huge, one of the largest and oldest in the world, but most of the Clan lived away from the manor, all over the world in smaller conclaves, and only came to the manor during Clan gatherings.

Most who did stay at the manor where either directly related to Aurelius, or the child of one who was. That was another thing Harry had learned, day-wanderers could be born and there were many more born than turned, because day-wanderers born could reproduce like any normal Human. But Harry couldn't, because he was turned and he'd never age either. He'd always be sixteen. His life really sucked.

A small head of black hair suddenly popped out of a doorway in front of him and Harry hesitated before continuing to walk on passed the open doorway. The little figure in a pristine pale-pink dress hurried to catch up with him, slowing to walk with her hands behind her back beside him. "Hello Mesha," Harry said lightly after a moment, only looking at the girl out of the corner of his eye.

"Hello Harry," the little girl replied, still walking beside him, her head lifted regal-like, and her hands still clasped behind her back. "Aren't you supposed to be in lesson with Master Aurelius?" she inquired.

Harry hesitated and then looked down to the girl. She was his blood sister Alia's five-year-old daughter and the complete opposite to her mother in every way. "If I tell you yes, are you going run and find him again?" he asked.

Mesha frowned for a moment and then surprising him, shook her head undecidedly. "I don't know," she said. "Are you going to go to lesson?" she asked.

Harry knew he wouldn't be able to avoid Aurelius for long, but hoped for a short while anyway. The Manor was massive. In the week he'd been there, he'd yet to see all of it, so it was likely that he could have some peace for a short time at least, but not forever. He nodded. "Eventually," he told Mesha.

"If you promise that you will go, I won't tell this time," she said decidedly.

Harry smiled slightly. "All right, I promise."

Mesha smiled, but then turned an unsympathetic glare on a servant slowly walking down the long hallway far in front of them. That was something Harry just couldn't get used to. He had servants, Human servants. Harry scoffed. Slaves, was a more appropriate word for them. They weren't really Harry's, they belonged to Aurelius, but they served him as they did everyone else in the manor. They laid out his clothes, they dressed him, they fed him, and he had to force himself to act like it was nothing to him, like he didn't care.

That was the one rule that continued to plague Harry. He was supposed to act a certain way around them, but the cold indifference that he was supposed to maintain around the servants was difficult for him, maybe because Harry had pretty much been a servant to his relatives, maybe because he had a friend who was a House Elf, Harry didn't know. But Aurelius had taken a firm hand with him for arguing about it, and still Harry continued to resist.

"Father said I shouldn't be near you, cause you're a newborn, did you know?" Mesha suddenly asked.

"That I'm a newborn?" Harry asked in light amusement.

"No," Mesha said derisively. "That Father said I shouldn't be near you."

"Are you breaking a rule, Mesha?" Harry inquired lightly, keeping his amusement out of his voice.

The girl's eyes widened for a moment and then she shook her head. "Father said that I shouldn't be, not that I couldn't be." She seemed to think about her words for a moment and then nodded to herself. Harry couldn't help but chuckle lightly. "Do you know why though? Father only told me because you are a newborn."

"He thinks I'm going to take your blood," Harry said with a slight frown.

"But you won't," Mesha said confidently.

"No, I won't, but it's enough that he thinks it."

"Oh," she said as they continued down the hall.

Harry nodded briefly when they passed the servant, Mesha didn't even glance at her. The girl curtsied, but then hurried along her way with a basket of clean linen. She didn't look him or Mesha in the eyes, but he could feel her fear. She was scared of him, most were. He understood why, but wished it weren't so. He was a new Vampire and considered unpredictable and dangerous, no matter how much Aurelius praised his control; even the other Vampires in the manor, like Mesha's father were wary of him.

The servants were scared of him for an entirely different reason though. Since his first hunt, whenever he needed blood, which was about every twenty-four hours, donors would come to him. Slaves in the Manor ordered to give their blood to their masters, to him. A few gracious servants offered freely, but not many and none to Harry. They all thought him too young and steered clear of him. Harry could see it in the eyes of the ones unwilling and firmly took control of their minds as not to cause them pain. It was Harry's only open way of showing the servants that he did not wish to treat them as such. He didn't want to be their master and he hated the word every time one of them called him it.

"Father said in a year I can start drinking blood like him and Mother. But only a little, so I don't go blood mad. Have you ever gone blood mad?" Mesha asked staring up at him as they reached the stairwell, where she stopped. Her slipper clad feet just at the edge of the first step. She wasn't allowed to leave the family wing, and never went passed exactly where she was standing.

Harry stopped two steps down and turned to look back at her. What she meant by blood mad, was the Blood Rage. Harry remembered that all too well. The feeling of absolutely no control, and only one thought in his head, blood. "Of course I have, I'm turned."

Mesha nodded slowly, clearly remembering that from her studies. She looked up at him innocently, but Harry could see a spark of intrigue in her eyes. "What was it like to be Human?"

Harry thought carefully about that. If he told her, much like she felt right now, she would deny it completely. According to what he'd read so far about his kind, she was essentially Human until she took blood for the first time. There were differences of course, but not many. Her mind was like all other Vampires, sharp and ordered. She took in things around her just as he did, but she didn't yet have the strength and speed, or the craving for blood. She ate Human food still.

"Different," Harry settled on. "Weaker," he added with a slight frown.

"Oh," Mesha said quietly. "I think I wouldn't like to be Human."

Harry nodded. Of course she'd say as much, she didn't understand what it was like to be Human, what it meant to be Human. "I should go to my lesson," he said and started down the stairs. He could feel her watching him as he descended, and knew that if he veered off path, she would tell Aurelius, he was going to his lesson. Harry had intended not to go, but he didn't have much choice, Aurelius would only come looking for him when Mesha told. It was only in her nature. The little Vampire was very strict about rules. She got it from her father, who Harry had only met twice and liked well enough, but couldn't really see eye to eye with.

Harry could only wonder how old she'd be when she started to rebel against her father and take after her mother. Alia was a Vampire Harry could definitely get along with. She kind of reminded him of Tonks, but with the air of Fred and George. Harry breathed out heavily and cleared his mind of his thoughts, his memories. It wouldn't do well to be thinking of what he'd lost during his lesson.

Harry left the stairs at the second floor and started down the hall, passed the rather large library, with its high windows and tall bookshelves. Harry smiled sadly; Hermione would love a chance to get at the library here. In fact, everything he was still just starting to learn, she'd be amazed by. Reluctantly, Harry admitted, he was amazed by it.

Harry remembered how overwhelmed he'd felt the morning after his one day of adjustment. Aurelius had started Harry on his _Lessons_, almost the moment he'd awoken. Endless lessons were what Harry now thought of them, there just always seemed that there was so much to learn.

The first thing Harry had been commanded to learn were the rules, not guidelines that governed the day-wanderers, for the safety of himself and everyone else around him. They were the laws that all his kind had to follow. Like any laws they came with punishments if broken, some not so harsh, but others, like telling anyone of the day-wanderers, were severe enough to warrant death. Harry had put them all to memory. He wasn't as stuck to the rules as Mesha was, but he had no desire to ever break any of them either. Aurelius' punishments for his defiance were more than enough. Harry couldn't deny that he was captivated by Aurelius' power, but to have it shoved down upon him was probably one of the most unpleasant things Harry had ever experienced, and he'd experienced a lot of unpleasant things in his life.

Harry shook his head of the memory as he turned down another long hallway. There seemed to be so many of them. Harry knew he hadn't seen half of the large manor. He really hadn't been given that much time to explore, but he did know that there were five stories that he could see from the main stairwell. Also he'd been told that there was a floor underground. A dungeon, Harry supposed. He didn't honestly know, he'd been instructed to stay out of the cellar with no explanation why. He also knew that there were five main wings, not including the servants' wing, and that the wing his bedroom was in was the same as Aurelius and several others, mostly his blood sisters and brothers. It was the family wing. There were also courtyards, three of which Harry had seen from the windows, but five total as he'd been told, and a garden somewhere off the south side of the property.

Harry walked passed one of the large sets of windows that were all over the manor. He didn't stop to look out it, he knew what he'd see, the same as all the other windows; forests, hills, and mountains. Harry had learned that he was now in Germany. Smack in the middle of the Black Forest in fact. He had no idea how close the nearest town was though, as he wasn't allowed to leave the Manor at all. The manor could be anywhere in the vast expanse of land that was the Rhineland's.

Harry cleared his mind again as he approached Aurelius' study. He didn't hesitate entering, but he did steel himself. He was late. Harry stopped just inside the door. He was surprised to find the room empty. He opened up his senses, but didn't feel Aurelius in any of the nearby rooms. It was odd. Since he'd first started his lessons, Aurelius had always been here waiting for him.

Harry looked around the large study, wondering if he should stay and wait, or if he'd be missed if he just left. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to stay. He looked up the height of the floor to ceiling bookshelf built into one of the walls and then pulled down one of the thick books he knew he'd likely need for his lesson, if Aurelius ever came.

The second thing Harry had been commanded to learn was given in the form of several long-winded books about the day-wanderer's history. All that sat barely touched in his room. The one he had in his hands was the Clan's Compendium. He was meant to memorize it, something about knowing the past and knowing himself, but Aurelius wouldn't let him take it from his study like the other books. He'd barely started to scratch the surface of it. I was very long, and Harry didn't have all day to commit to studying just it as he had so many other lessons to attend.

Harry had to admit that he actually looked forward to some of his other daily lessons now. Mind Magic, Blood Magic, Runic Magic, and even Potions, each taught by another of his kind, blood sisters and brothers who lived in the Manor. Each of those lessons had to be the most challenging and intriguing he was commanded to learn. They were his favorites. But he knew that if his mind didn't absorb and process all of the information as quickly as it now did, he'd be completely overwhelmed by just those few.

Among his other lessons, he'd begun instruction in proper etiquette, of which he was still working on. He'd always thought he was rather well mannered, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley had always said so, but he was beginning to see that there were many different guidelines to being polite. He didn't understand why it was so important he learn how to behave differently than he always had. He understood that he was now a Vampire and some changes needed to be made, but it wasn't as if he was anyone special among the many other Vampires in the Manor and sometimes he felt as if he'd fit in more with the servants rather than his blood kin.

Aurelius' lessons were the only ones he really disliked. Even his Potions lessons he enjoyed more and Madame Clarisse was constantly correcting him. He disliked them because he hated Aurelius… Harry sighed as he crossed in front of the window. He focused on his reflection passed the rain running down the window. He didn't hate Aurelius. Hate was a word he left for those like Voldemort, and Bellatrix Lestrange. He hated what Aurelius had turned him into, what he was turning into. On whole, Aurelius really wasn't that bad a person, he could even be caring, but he was also one hundred percent the Vampire he was born to be.

Harry put the Compendium down on Aurelius' marble-topped desk and then swept out of the room. He should stay and wait, but couldn't bring himself to. Harry sped up his pace until he was literally blurring through the halls. This was one of the few things he liked about being a Vampire, he was very fast, and he'd only gotten faster since his turning. He was sure there were others faster than him, Aurelius certainly was, but he didn't much care as long as he could feel as if he were flying, as if he were free, even for a short time, and when he blurred like this, he was.

It wasn't long at all before he was approaching a door he knew he shouldn't even be thinking about going through. He slowed down as he took in the odd decorations that were far different to the rest of the castle. They were older, worn. Harry followed the unique mural on the wall as he came to an ornately carved door. He looked at it strangely. He knew what it was; it was the door that led into the basement of the Manor. He knew he should leave it, but he could feel another Vampire behind the door. He'd been able to feel the other Vampire since the first time he'd entered this corridor, almost calling to him, but it was muted, always muted, like there was a barrier between them, hiding the other's presence. He'd wanted to go through the door before, but had ignored it as he'd always been with others, but now he was alone.

Harry looked around and then quietly opened the door and stepped into the darkness behind it, closing the door behind him. He was mildly surprised that the door hadn't been locked. For a place that was supposed to be forbidden, one would think they would at least lock the door. Then again, Harry had observed over the years that things that were forbidden were often left to one's own judgment. Take the Forbidden Forest or the third floor corridor in his first year for example. That thought gave Harry a momentary pause as he reviewed his own judgment in going to either of those places. It hadn't really worked out all that well for him in the end.

He shrugged and walked a few steps further, and then a few more. The presence was still muted, but stronger as he slowly continued down a set of steep stairs, which there were more of than just one story. Curiously, Harry started off down the hall at the bottom to see who was down here. He'd not yet met one of his blood kin that he hadn't liked, well with the exception of Aurelius. But Harry was sure he'd get along better with his Sire if Aurelius would stop trying to control him and change him into something that he clearly wasn't.

Harry continued down the darkened hall until he came to another door. This one had bolts on the outside, but wasn't bolted shut, so Harry opened this one as well. What he found on the other side was a room larger than the ballroom, and the ballroom was near the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Like the ballroom that was most likely a couple of stories above it, this room was also circular, but where the ballroom was light and airy, this room sent chills up Harry's spine, even though it appeared to be empty.

The room was well lit by torches at intervals on the walls, but a feeling of decay hung in the air. Though Harry was still curious, he thought it was better to leave the room to itself. Harry turned to go when his eyes gazed over the center of the room and realized for the first time that the presence he felt was coming from a slightly raised dais in the center of the room. He then saw the indents in the floor leading to the dais. Each indent, of which there were seven equally spaced, led straight to the wall. Harry looked closer at the walls and saw that above each indented canal, there was what looked like hooks.

Harry stared at the hooks for a moment, trying to figure out what could be hung there when his mind caught up with all he had seen. His eyes widened in horror as they darted back to the coffin shaped dais. Harry again quickly moved to leave the room when he was stopped before he could turn by a hand clamping harshly down on his shoulder.

"You could have awakened him!" Aurelius snarled and then pushed Harry aside, making Harry stumble as he walked slowly to the dais and knelt down. He placed his near white hand lightly on the rectangular platform and closed his eyes for a moment and then he looked up at Harry, who hadn't dared to move or even breath. "My brother sleeps here," he whispered, but Harry heard him fine.

Harry took a step closer. "Sleeps?" he asked quietly.

Aurelius nodded. "Every three hundred years, the oldest of us will sleep. We grow bored. Sleep is the nearest to death we can get without actually dying. When we awaken, it is like being reborn. The world changes and is new and exciting to us again. Josef has been asleep for five hundred years now. His mate was killed by a Covenant Slayer. He retaliated by destroying the Slayer and his family. But his pain was too much to bare and he asked me to never awaken him unless the Clan is in danger or there is no other choice."

Harry bowed his head. "Forgive me Master, I meant no harm. I was curious is all, and – and I felt his presence calling to me all week."

Aurelius frowned at him. "You felt him, from how far away?"

Harry shrugged. "Before the door to the stairs, maybe a little before that," he answered lightly. "I only ever noticed it when I was passing."

Aurelius frowned further and then looked down at his brother's resting place. After a few moments, he breathed out heavily and then stood and walked towards Harry. He firmly took Harry by the arm and pulled him out of the room, closing the door behind them. Harry had no choice but to follow as Aurelius didn't let go of him. As they walked back up the dark hallway, he wondered what his punishment would be for disobeying him.

Aurelius stopped them about half way to the stairs. "We have rules for a reason, Harry," he stated. His voice was neither cold nor harsh as Harry had expected it to be, it was almost tired and it caught Harry off guard.

"Yes, Master. I understand now and won't come down here again," Harry said repentantly.

"Good. Now ask your question, Childe, I can feel the curiosity rolling off you in waves," Aurelius said with a slightly amused smirk.

Harry couldn't help but smile sheepishly; he really did want to know even though he was sure he was going to be horrified by the answer. "That room, what is it, Master?"

"A Bloodletting Chamber is the typical name for them. Sleep Chamber is another. Many Clans have them. In the distant past, chambers such as ours were used for sacrifices and rituals, but as you can see, ours has not been used for some time. Even the chains that had once hung from the walls have been taken away. It is now only used for a resting place and the only blood that ever flows there, is during the awakening ceremony."

Harry nodded. "How much blood is required to awaken an Elder Vampire, Master?"

"A single drop; it matters not if it is mortal or Vampire, as long as it is magical. After that however, the Vampire is starved, worse than you were when you first awakened. The Rage takes over until it is sated. We use previously stored blood bags and seal the Vampire in the room until his Rage is gone. It is the safest way for all of us."

Harry took all of this new information in. He was sure he'd learn more in his reading so asked no further questions. He was curious about the Covenant Slayers, but he remembered a reference to them in one of the books he'd been given. He'd find out for himself later. Harry nodded again and Aurelius led him upstairs, shutting the door behind them. As the door closed, Harry couldn't help looking over his shoulder. He could still feel Josef's presence, but he had a feeling that he wasn't supposed to.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	4. To Be a Vampire

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Four – To Be a Vampire

Harry ducked, dodged, and rolled out of the way, for what felt like the thousandth time. He tried to bring up his sword in time, but the other was much faster, more experienced, and relentless. In Harry's opinion, this was no way to teach someone how to sword fight, but he wouldn't complain. He saw this as his punishment for going into the Bloodletting Chamber. He could have gotten worse; he'd gotten worse before and for less defiance.

He really was very sorry about going into the chamber and he vowed to temper his curiosity from now on. He realized that had he ended up awakening Josef, he would be dead right now. And even if he did manage to survive, he'd be awakening someone who didn't want to be in the world. He understood why Josef slept. Losing loved ones was hard to live with, and he couldn't imagine finding his mate and then losing them. Losing Sirius had been hard enough.

Harry nearly fell over himself to avoid the blurred blade that nicked his arm, leaving a long bloody gash in his white shirt. It would have been across his neck had he not tripped. This was truly getting ridiculous. He picked up his pace, hoping to use his speed to get in a hit, but it didn't seem to matter much.

Harry remembered hours before, walking into this very room with Aurelius. "_In raw magic, you are powerful_," he had said simply. "_But Hogwarts has taught you nothing. You should have been training for Lel since you were old enough to walk and talk. I cannot let you go there as you are, you would be slaughtered. We have three months to train your mind, and your body. You will be ready for Lel Academy by then, even if it kills all of your teachers. This is Santo, your blood cousin. He will train you in swords. Have fun!_" And Harry had watched Aurelius leave with a very sadistic smirk on his lips as a lithe and well-toned, brown haired, Italian Vampire tossed a sword at him.

Have fun indeed. Harry couldn't even count the number of times he'd nearly had one or more limbs lobbed off, including his head. He could swear the other Vampire was trying to kill him rather than teach him. Harry felt he'd probably fare better against Voldemort than Santo at this point. His clothes were a bloody mess, though all of his wounds were healed or in the case of his arm, healing.

Harry brought his sword up and blocked and then swung blindly with all his speed and strength. He had no technique. The last time he'd even touched a sword he'd been twelve and then he'd struck at the Basilisk blindly too, he wasn't doing well learning this at all. His newfound strength, speed, and grace was wonderful, yet the only good it seemed to do him was keeping him from losing limbs. He'd done better at Occlumency with Severus Snape and that's saying something. But at least he was fairly good at avoiding the sharp blade.

"Enough," Santo suddenly said irritably and swiped the sword away from Harry's grasp by the blade. "You are terrible. I thought you said you had handled a sword in combat before."

"I did not! I said I'd used one before; once!"

Santo rolled his eyes. "Per l'amore del dio," he muttered under his breath. "Stay here," he barked and then left the room.

Harry flopped against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He felt completely inept and he just knew Santo was going to tell Aurelius how incompetent he was and then there'd be another lesson. He didn't particularly like Aurelius' teaching style either, but he'd come to accept it. It was all very frustrating though.

Harry wandered over to one of the windowed walls and looked out over a small-enclosed courtyard. It was empty and slightly run down, as if it had been neglected for a few years at the least. Harry found that strange, as all he had seen of the manor so far was in perfect, well-maintained condition. Harry closed his eyes and stamped down on his curiosity before it led him to investigating something else that would no doubt get him into trouble.

He opened his eyes and looked to the sky, watching with his hands behind his back as the suddenly clouded sky opened up and rain came pouring down. Aurelius wasn't happy. Harry had been told by one of his blood kin early on, that if he kept an eye on the weather, he'd know Aurelius' moods. His Sire didn't always control the weather, but when it suddenly turned, like it just had, one could count on the fact that Aurelius was not pleased.

Harry remembered the night of his turning. How the sky had opened up just before he was attacked. He'd wanted to ask Aurelius if that had been him, but he hadn't the nerve to do so yet. He was afraid of the answer he would receive. He was afraid Aurelius had chosen him long before that night. He didn't know how he would feel if that were indeed true.

Harry didn't turn from the window when he felt Aurelius and Santo enter into the training room. He didn't give any greetings, excuses or apologies. He could feel Aurelius' calculating eyes on him.

"Give him a sword," he suddenly ordered and Santo walked over to Harry and handed him the same dull sword he'd been using for the last few hours.

Harry took it in his right hand. He hated the feel of it. It was weighted all wrong, even Godric Gryffindor's ornately decorated sword had felt more natural in his hands, but Santo hadn't let him choose one for himself. He didn't think it would make him much better though, maybe a little less clumsy, but it certainly wouldn't make up for his lack of skill. Harry swiped it in front of him once and then turned back around.

He was immediately caught off guard as Aurelius slashed at him, and he just managed to parry and spin out of the way of the next blow. Aurelius suddenly kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over and then he hit him across the jaw with the hilt of his sword. Harry staggered back against the wall rubbing his aching jaw and swallowing the blood, that came from him biting his own tongue, as he glared up at Aurelius.

"You will not dodge, you will parry, or you will take the blows," Aurelius said heatedly and then he turned on Santo. "Let him choose his own weapons. That is not even fit to be a child's toy!"

Aurelius swept out of the room as Harry and Santo both muttered a soft, "Yes, Master."

Harry massaged his jaw as it healed. "Thanks for that, I really needed my jaw dislocated."

"Just trying to teach you a lesson, cousin," Santo quipped with a smirk.

"More teaching; less getting me in trouble with Aurelius; thank you very much. Now, about that new sword," Harry inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Santo shrugged. "I did not want you skewering me before you had learned something. Aurelius, however, is correct. That sword is not fit to be a child's toy. Come child let us get you a better toy!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You're only twenty years older than I am," he muttered under his breath and then followed Santo out of the room.

...

This was more like it! Harry thought as he parried three times in quick succession and then slashed out, causing Santo to dodge again.

It had only been a little under a week, yet Harry was coming very close to besting his own teacher. Santo had indeed let him choose his own weapons. Harry had spent hours in the extensive armory and it hadn't been until he was just going to choose something at random when he saw them. Twin swords, straight, sharp on both sides, the hilts wrapped in blue silk and filigree. He'd almost missed them, but the uncovered very sharp silver blades had caught the moonlight coming in from the high windows and they had simply put, called to him.

And they practically sung in his hands as he spun and swung as if he wasn't sword fighting, but dancing. Santo had actually started to teach him after he'd chosen his swords and now he felt complete with them in his hands; as if nothing could touch him. But that all came to a sudden end as he disarmed Santo of his own two blades and stabbed the man through the shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

"Oops," Harry muttered, his eyes glazing over a bit at the fresh scent of another's blood.

"Non lo credo!" grunted Santo, and looked down at the blade with some shock and then up at Harry. His eyes narrowed. "Very good, but you are going to pay dearly for that. This is my favorite shirt!"

Harry shook his head and had a moment's indecision about letting the older Vampire go or just leaving him there and running for his life. The glare Santo sent at him, however, had him swiftly pulling the blade from the Vampire's shoulder before he bolted from the room. He didn't see Santo's amused smirk as he fled.

Harry stopped in his tracks just a corridor from his room when Aurelius stepped out and looked at Harry's unsheathed swords. He rolled his eyes heavenward and muttered, "Finally," under his breath and then walked around Harry. "Be sure to clean your blades thoroughly. They are five centuries old."

Harry nodded "Yes, Master," he muttered and then continued on his way to his room, to change and get ready for his next lesson. He didn't hide the smile on his lips.

He wasn't surprised to find a servant waiting there for him when he entered, she was his donor today. Harry shook his head to himself and ignored her as he cleaned his swords as he'd been instructed to and put them away on the stand on his wall. He turned back to find the girl nervously standing beside his bed. He'd never seen her before, but he hadn't met all of the servants in the Manor yet.

"You don't have to be nervous, I won't hurt you," Harry said lightly as he moved to pull down a couple of books for his next lesson with Madame Clarisse, as she liked to be called. Like many other Vampires in the Manor, she was one of his blood siblings. But she was two hundred years older than him and a wonderful teacher of potions, so much better than Severus Snape, prettier too. He'd learned much from her within the past two weeks.

He pulled down his runes text as well so he could go straight from Clarisse's lesson to Alia's. His lessons had become more complex since Aurelius had told him he was going to the Academe de Lel. Harry had never heard of the school before and neither Aurelius nor anyone else would tell him much of anything about the school. He knew it was competitive and that only the strongest were invited to go there, but little else. He didn't know where it was located or how the classes were set up. He hadn't even been told how he got in. He didn't see himself as one of the strongest that was for sure.

Harry walked by the servant and put his books on his desk. He could feel her eyes on him. He wasn't surprised that she was watching him. Most of the servants did. They believed he was going to hurt or kill them; an unfounded belief with their knowledge of him. They of course didn't know about what he'd done to his uncle and they wouldn't know. Only Aurelius knew, and he never brought it up.

Harry felt a sudden change in the demeanor of the girl behind him and spun around just in time to have a dagger plunge deep into his stomach. He looked up in shock at the girl as he felt himself weakening. There was something on the blade. Harry fell heavily onto the ground as the world started to turn gray and he lost almost all control of his limbs. "Why," he whispered as he tried to pull the blade out unsuccessfully.

"Sie töteten meinen Bruder," she whispered coldly with tears in her eyes and turned and picked up one of his blades. Harry's eyes widened as he roughly translated that with the limited amount of German he'd learned in the last couple weeks.

"No! I didn't! Please, don't do this." He gasped as he tried to pull the blade from his stomach again. "They'll kill you if you kill me!" he shouted.

Harry tried with all his strength to make his body move, as she lifted the sword and readied it to bring down on his neck. Just as the girl was about to let the blade fall, Aurelius suddenly had her in his grasp. He snarled at her as he ripped the sword from her hands and then threw her at Santo as he quickly moved to Harry's side, putting the blade on his desk with a clatter.

"I've been poisoned," Harry breathed and then bit back a scream as the dagger was suddenly torn from his abdomen and he could feel blood flowing from the wound.

"Yes," Aurelius said simply, examining the blade, and then summoned Vantesh, one of Clarisse's blood sons, and a rather experienced healer. "Quickly, before he bleeds himself into a Blood Rage," Aurelius said as Vantesh appeared in a cloud of black.

Aurelius rose and walked over to the girl as Vantesh healed Harry and forced a rather nasty tasting potion down his throat before offering his own wrist. Harry accepted and sighed in relief as his strength quickly came back to him and he could move again. He didn't take much from Vantesh though. It wouldn't do anything for him. He'd have to feed for real soon as much of his blood was currently staining his shirt and the floor.

Harry sat up and then jumped to his feet as Aurelius backhanded the girl across the face. "You nearly killed my son!" Aurelius hissed dangerously.

"Master, please –" Harry began.

"Er tötete meinen Bruder!" she yelled and tried to struggle from Santo's grasp.

"No you stupid girl, I killed him!" Aurelius snarled. "He let him live! Do you understand? Er liess ihn leben!"

The girl shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. "Kein tötete er ihn!"

"I did it!" Aurelius snarled into the girl's face.

Harry stared at Aurelius, suddenly realizing who he meant. The mortal he had let go. "You said he was mine to do with what I wanted!" Harry shouted and then snapped his mouth shut when Aurelius turned on him.

"I ordered you to drain him. I simply did what you could not," he hissed as he glared hard at Harry and then he turned back to the girl. "This blade is a Covenant Slayer's blade, where did you get it! Woher erhielten Sie dieses?" he demanded, showing her the dagger. The girl looked away. "Where!" growled Aurelius, bringing the bloodied blade up to her throat.

"Master, maybe she doesn't know," Harry interrupt.

"Silence," Aurelius ordered, again glaring at Harry briefly before looking into the girl's eyes. "She knows. Was it your mother, your father? Answer me!"

"Kalian, mein Onkel, he sends his regards, mörder!" she spit out harshly.

Aurelius smirked cruelly. "Does he now? He obviously expected you to fail in your quest to kill my son or he would have given you the Mark and the strength to withstand him. Well we shall not disappointed him," he hissed, lowering the blade. "Because he was the one you foolishly attacked, I will let him deal your punishment." Aurelius turned back to Harry. "Kill her," he ordered and Harry's eyes widened.

He shook his head and backed away. "I – no, I won't, I can't!" Aurelius stared coldly at Harry. "Please don't make me do this, Master," Harry pleaded.

"You will," Aurelius hissed. "It is time you learned what it means to be a Vampire. You are too lenient with the Humans who serve us. She should not have thought she had any hope of success. If you acted as their master, acted as a Vampire should, she would not have! They are here to serve us, nothing more. They neither deserve respect, nor need it. Kill her."

"It's against the law to kill Humans who aren't sentenced to death," Harry stated one of the rules in an attempt to dissuade Aurelius.

Aurelius took a step towards Harry. "Of course, you are correct, how remiss of me. I sentence death on her for trying to kill _you_, and allow you to take your revenge."

"I don't want revenge. She didn't know it wasn't me." Harry shook his head again. "I won't do it!" He hissed angrily. "She is Human. I was once just like her, I will not kill her!" he shouted.

Lightning fast, Aurelius grabbed Harry by the throat and squeezed hard. "You will, my son, or your punishment will be far worse than one dead servant girl." Aurelius emphasized this by pushing images of his friends into his mind. Ron, Hermione, both dead.

"No," Harry choked. "Please, no!"

Aurelius threw Harry to his knees at the girl's feet. "Then you will kill her now, drain her!"

Harry closed his eyes tightly and then forced himself back to his feet. He couldn't cost Ron and Hermione their lives. Harry stood over the girl and looked into her angry, sad, and frightened hazel eyes as Santo pushed the girl into his arms. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear as he tighten his hold on her and then taking a deep breath, he hesitated, but then sunk his fangs into her soft flesh, into the artery at her neck.

He heard her gasp in pain. He couldn't connect with her mind to take away the pain. He wished he could. This was the first time feeding that he didn't get any enjoyment out of it. Oh, the Vampire within him savored the blood that ran down his throat, but he couldn't bring himself to feel the pleasure he normally did. He could feel the girl weakening in his arms and he wanted to stop, but Aurelius' presence was sharp in his mind and so Harry continued to drink until the girl stiffened in his arms and then went limp.

Harry held her close as he removed his fangs. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again as he gently laid her body down on the floor. A single tear fell down her cheek as her last heartbeat fluttered and died away. Harry released her and then he was yanked back to his feet by Aurelius who had a firm grip on his upper arm. Harry refused to look at him.

"Do you understand now?" Aurelius hissed into his ear.

"Yes, Master," Harry said brokenly. "I understand."

Aurelius glanced up to a couple of servants looking through the door nervously. "Get rid of her," he commanded coldly. Harry didn't watch as the servants picked the girl's lifeless body up and took her away. "Vantesh, tell your mother Harry will not be in her lesson this afternoon. It is time my son and I have a talk."

Vantesh nodded, glancing sadly at Harry before he left. Santo followed on his heels, also glancing back at Harry with sympathy in his eyes. Aurelius waited for them to leave, closing the door behind them, before he guided Harry over to his desk and made him sit in the chair there. Harry still refused to look at his Sire.

"You are a Vampire, above everyone else in this entire world. You are to be respected and feared. I chose you because you are powerful, and I knew what you could become!" Aurelius snarled as he paced in front of Harry. He came to tower over him, leaning on the arms of Harry's chair. "I have seen your power, I have felt it. You can be one of the most powerful Vampires in this world, but power is nothing unless you have respect. You are nothing, unless you have respect! The servants will only respect you if they fear you. Other Vampires will only respect you if they fear you. The fear we give them is the only thing that keeps them from rising up against us. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded still looking away from Aurelius. "Yes, Master, I understand," he whispered, but he really wanted to scream that he hated him for making him kill again.

"Just say it, Harry," Aurelius suddenly snapped. "You never speak your mind. I can feel your fear of reprisal. This fear your Human relatives have instilled in you makes you weak, my son," he said harshly.

Harry finally raised his eyes to glare up at Aurelius, he wasn't afraid and he wasn't weak! "I hate you," he said strongly. "I hate what you've made me! I hate being here! I hate your stupid lessons! I hate having to follow your stupid rules! And most of all I hate that you've turned me into a killer!" Harry shouted the last, clenching his hands into the arms of his chair to keep himself from attacking his Sire in his rage.

Aurelius breathed out heavily and knelt down in front of Harry. He cupped Harry's face in his hand and made him look at him. "I know," he said evenly. "I know you have not had a lot of choices and I have given you fewer and for that, I am sorry. But I saw you wasting away in the Wizarding World. They would not let you grow into what you could have become. They were using you as a tool and they would have discarded you as soon as you had fulfilled your purpose." Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Aurelius silenced him. "Yes, you had your friends, and a family that cared for you like you were their own when they could. But even they unknowingly were using you. Dumbledore let a prophecy run your fate. He put you with relatives that would ensure you would never become the most powerful Wizard in the world."

Aurelius released him and Harry looked away from his Sire, not wanting to believe his words but finding he was never the less. "I don't care about power. I never have." As soon as that statement left his mouth, Harry knew it was a lie. He did care. He'd always wished he had the power to change his life, to change his fate

"Dumbledore knew you could have gone to Lel." Harry looked up at Aurelius. "You would have become one of the most powerful Wizards in the world and he stopped it from happening out of fear, out of greed… I cannot say his reasoning."

"How do you know all this?" Harry asked quietly.

"Just before your mother and father went into hiding with you, Lel gave them a sanctuary pass, another option than simply hiding from Voldemort. They would have been protected by people hundreds of times more powerful than Voldemort. Dumbledore intercepted the invitation and refused it for them. I doubt they even knew your name was down for Lel long before it was down for Hogwarts. He cost you your future as a very powerful Wizard, and he cost you your family."

Harry stared at Aurelius. He wanted to contest what he was hearing. He wanted to continue to hate him, but he found that his hate was being diverted onto Dumbledore. If Aurelius spoke the truth, and the man had never lied to him, kept things from him, yes, but never lied, then Dumbledore was responsible for all that had happened to him. Dumbledore had cost him his family. Dumbledore had cost him his Humanity. Aurelius may have made him a Vampire, but Dumbledore had molded him into what he had been. It was because of Dumbledore that he'd killed for the first time.

Harry looked away from Aurelius. "You chose me long before the night you turned me, didn't you?" He asked quietly, staring out his bedroom window.

"I did. I have been watching you for many years. In all my life, I have seen grown men beaten down, broken, tossed aside. I have seen them give up with hardly a fight and I have seen them turn into monsters because of the suffering that has been put upon them. But you, a mere boy, with immense power, but power you knew nothing of, have never succumbed, never given up, even though you have been through all that those men had gone through and more. You intrigued me."

Harry looked at Aurelius. "I'm not that boy anymore, you changed me."

"We all change with every battle fought, whether lost or won, Harry, but we also endure. Yes, you have changed, but it isn't I who have changed you. I made you a Vampire. I gave you strength, and speed. I made you immortal, but I haven't changed who you are and I will never be able to. You told me you would never be a killer, and I believe that now…"

"Then why did you make me kill her!" Harry hissed angrily.

"I do not believe you know how close you came to death, Harry. It scared me to think that I might lose you. If that blade been made of what it should have been… You had the power to fight back against that girl, but you were simply going to let her kill you. I have come to care very deeply for you over the years. I want you to become my Heir, my true son, but I cannot have an Heir who shows weakness," Aurelius said simply. "Like all leaders I have allies and I have enemies. My enemies are held at bay only because they believe I am stronger than them. I understand that you are still attached to your mortal side, but you cannot treat the mortals here as equals. You do not have to be cruel to them, but they are servants, here to serve us, that is all."

"They're not servants, they're slaves," Harry whispered stubbornly.

Aurelius nodded. "Yes, some of them are, but they are slaves for a reason, and they are not as many as you think. Some of them are here working off debts, others are here because they committed crimes against us. You have met mostly slaves because you are still young. Many of the paid servants, who are here willingly, do not trust you yet. The longer you are here the more you will come to see this and the more you will come to see, much like your Wizarding World, not everything is as it seems."

"The man you gave me for my first hunt, what was his crime?" Harry asked, not really wanting the answer, but at the same time needing to hear it.

"He killed a child. We have a few families here among the servants. These families have been serving us for centuries. They count on us to see that justice is done. I killed him for his crime after you let him go to show that justice was given for that child's life."

Harry nodded in understanding. He'd been living at the Manor long enough to know Aurelius spoke the truth, but that didn't mean that he agreed with what Aurelius had forced him to do. Bringing justice on the brother was one thing. Punishing the girl with her life, for wanting revenge, was another.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	5. Welcome to Lel

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Five – Welcome to Lel

Three months, he had been a Vampire for three months. He had learned many lessons in those three months and he had grown and changed much in that time. He had finally… very nearly, accepted that he would never again see his friends. He could no longer be a part of their life so it was much easier for him to pretend that he was dead to them. It was hard, but the more he learned about his own kind, the more he realized that he didn't like the Wizarding race much at all.

The Wizards had attempted to destroy his people. It had been a very long time ago, but as Harry saw it, the Wizarding World as a whole had not changed. They thought magical creatures inferior, unnatural, monsters, but most were as gentle as Unicorns, made to turn cruel because of the actions of the Wizards. Their prejudices were what was going to destroy their world and themselves and Harry couldn't help but feel pity for them.

Harry pulled his long hair from the ribbon he had holding it back, to allow it to frame his face as he walked into the Entrance Hall to await his Master. There was one time that he always kept his hair back, because it was in direct opposition to Aurelius who always wore his down, and it made him look more like his Master having it down. But not now, he found he preferred to leave it down unless it was going to be in the way.

Harry clasped his hands behind his back as he looked around him. Today he was going to Lel. Normally the first year students had to find their own way there. It was part of the test of getting into the Academe de Lel, but Aurelius was a Prior, which he'd learn about when he got to the school, as Aurelius had explained to Harry; and not only that, but Aurelius was also one of the founders of the Academe. So he would be arriving with Aurelius. He felt special, and he didn't fancy trying to figure out where Lel was on his own, especially as the term had technically started three weeks ago.

Harry adjusted his swords on his back, fidgeting with the unfamiliar feel of having the scabbards strapped there. Santo had the sheaths made for him a couple of days ago with the completion of his training. This was the first time he had worn them. He didn't understand the need for his swords to be visible at a school, but he was sure he'd learn quickly enough.

"Do not fidget. They will sense your fear."

Harry turned at the sound of the lilted voice. He smiled as the woman waltzed into the Hall with her pale blue robes flowing around her, as they normally did. Harry raised an eyebrow at the blond haired Vampire. She was his runes tutor and Mesha's mother. "I am not afraid, Alia." Harry said with a lift of his chin.

Alia smirked. "You should be. You are too soft. They are going to tear you apart at Lel, dear little brother."

Harry smirked himself. "Or I will tear them apart, dear big sister," Harry quipped back. "And I am not soft, only gentle, as a gentleman should always appear to be," Harry said quoting his blood brother and etiquette tutor, Louis.

Alia chuckled. The two had bantered back and forth since the moment they met. Alia was fifty years older than him, but she acted as if she were still a teenager at times, which was probably why Mesha tried to act so grown up. Alia was a Runes Mistress and had trained at Lel. The most information about Lel that Harry had ever gotten out of all of the Vampires that lived in or visited the Manor had come from her. Unfortunately, he knew he was still missing a lot of information. He didn't understand why all the secrecy was necessary, but he was sure he would in time.

"A word of advice, Harry, do not look uncomfortable or lost when you arrive. Walk in as if you belong there, as if you have been there before. I snuck a look at the roster last night. The first years are up against three upper year classes this year and another that will be around for the next two months. Not good odds for the first year class," Alia said quietly as if she were telling gossip to a group of girls. She looked up quickly and Harry sensed what she did. Aurelius was coming. She lowered her voice even more. "The more powerful you look, the better off you will be. Remember, everything is a competition," she hissed and then swept out of the Hall, waving a hand over her shoulder as she did.

Harry stared after her. "Right," he muttered and then turned to greet Aurelius.

He'd warmed up to his Master considerably since he had been told of Dumbledore's manipulations. He hadn't forgiven him for making him take the life of the servant girl, but he was beginning to understand that he wasn't a normal Vampire, as he'd thought, not even among the other day-wanderers. He was already more powerful than most of his blood brothers and sisters, and he hadn't even had that much training. He was naturally gifted with his swords and even Santo had claimed that he would not be bested easily in sword combat. The fact that Aurelius wanted him as his Heir was proof enough that the Vampire cared more for his future than Dumbledore ever had. Harry now felt privileged that Aurelius wanted him as his Heir.

"Master," Harry bowed respectfully. "How do I look?"

Aurelius raised an elegant eyebrow as he surveyed Harry. Taking in the black and red Clan robes Alia had told the servants to lay out for him, the tailored pants and top and the blue handled swords at his back. "You have everything?" Harry patted the hidden pocket in his robes, where he'd shrunk and put what he thought he might need at Lel. "You finally look like my son, good," Aurelius said with a smirk and then spun on his heel and headed towards the door.

Harry smiled slightly at the praise and followed quickly after his Master. Once outside, Aurelius held out his hand and Harry took it and the two disappeared from the cold German landscape. Harry was suddenly glad that one, he was a Vampire now and heat didn't bother him nearly as much, and two, he was able to come to the school with Aurelius. Harry would never have thought the school would be in the middle of a desert oasis.

Harry was so busy taking in the building before him, that he didn't hear his Master telling him to follow. The school was a palace, Arabic in style with white sandstone walls and huge archways, and round towers with gonbad style roofs. It was beautiful and huge. It was going to take him at least a week uninterrupted to find his way around the palace completely, he was sure of it.

Harry looked around him and realized that the area was most likely protected much like Hogwarts. He could see a town not far off, maybe half a mile down the hill the school stood on. Looking closely he was certain that it was a Muggle town. Though he could see camels and horses, some pulling open topped carriages, he could also see a few cars.

Harry suddenly realized Aurelius was gone and quickly followed his Master's scent in the direction he'd gone. It was straight up through the front door. Unlike Hogwarts' large thick wooden door, this one was still huge, but though it was also made out of wood, this one was lattice in design and he could see clearly through to the hall on the other side.

Harry quickly pulled open the door and entered. The Entrance Hall was as massive as it had looked through the door, and had several open aired tunnels branching off from it. On either side of the hall, there was a huge stone spiral staircase, which went up five stories, branching off on each floor to a balcony that ran the length of three sides of the Entrance Hall and probably led to other hallways. The Entrance Hall had an airy light feeling, and he was sure the rest of the palace had the same qualities. It was in complete opposition from the closed off and dark feel that came with Hogwarts. He was going to like Lel.

Harry admired the large domed ceiling that had intricately carved pictures covering the expanse as he followed his Master's scent. He could now feel hundreds of others present and he had a feeling that he was going to be arriving into a large dining hall in the midst of a meal. Harry was quite used to being stared at so didn't hesitated entering the Hall, knowing that his presence would not go unnoticed. Harry wasn't wrong, every head turned towards him.

"I am glad you finally decided to join us, Childe," Aurelius said loudly from his place at the staff table. He was obviously trying to embarrass him for his tardiness.

Harry simply smirked and half bowed. "Of course, Master, I would not want to be left behind."

Aurelius narrowed his eyes, but surprisingly allowed his smart-ass comment to slide. "Indeed," he said simply. "The first year table is there, I suggest you join it."

Harry bowed again and standing tall, with all eyes on him, he blurred faster than any of them could see and then settled down at one of the long tables, between two female Vampires. The dark haired one on his left was about half his size and he could tell, like himself, had been turned, and from her appearance, probably before she was even eleven or twelve. The other on his right was blond and quite pretty. She was unmistakably a born Vampire, and looked to be around the same age as him.

Harry held out a hand to both girls. "My name is Harry and you two are?"

The younger looking one blushed very faintly and shook his hand first. "Medea, from the Azathose Clan," she said quietly.

"Nice to meet you," Harry said and then looked to the girl on his right, taking in her Clan robes, as she stared at his hand with annoyance on her face. Harry lowered his hand. "All right, I guess I really don't need to know your name. It's not as if we could be friends anyway. Master Aurelius always said the Danwin Clan was full of cold hearted…"

"What! But my father and…" she scowled when she saw Harry's amused smirk. "Terin, Lady Terinnia de Danwin," she grumbled.

Harry blinked at the girl. "Terin, wow, you're a girl."

"Of course she's a girl, what kind of statement is that?" Medea said coolly.

"Oh, I didn't mean… umm, that is, it's just that Master Aeolian, when he spoke of you, it sounded as if he was talking about a boy…" Harry finished lamely.

Terin snorted. "Yes, Father does sometimes wish that I was a boy, but he is stuck with me," she said with a smirk. Harry laughed.

"Why are you so late?" a boy across from them asked and several other heads turned in his direction, obviously wanting to know the answer as well.

Harry was sure the boy was a werewolf, but he couldn't be positive as he'd not met one since his turning. The only real indication he had was that the boy's eyes had the slight honey gold color to them that Remus' did, and he felt that there was something else, another presence within the boy, but it seemed tame, dormant almost.

"You are a Werewolf, right?" Harry asked, instead of answering his question.

"Wolf, yes, Were, no. I was born this way and have complete control over my wolf form, my whole pack does."

"Really? That's so cool! I have a friend who…" Harry stopped suddenly and swallowed thickly. He'd never see Remus again, so he was no longer his friend. "Had a friend who is a Werewolf, he would love to have control over his wolf. The closest he comes to taming the wolf is when he has the Wolfsbane Potions," Harry finished with a subdued voice. It was still hard to remember that he was no longer a part of his old life.

"That doesn't tame the wolf, it suppresses it. Stupid European Wizards, think they know everything. The best thing for a Werewolf to do is accept the wolf. Don't look at it as a curse, but more of a gift and the wolf will step aside to allow the Human's mind to have control during the full moons," Medea explained and the boy nodded in agreement.

Harry only raised an eyebrow and wished he could contact Remus and tell him that. Though Harry doubted that Remus would ever be able to accept the wolf, he'd been fighting it for so long. Harry blinked out of his thoughts and held out his hand to the boy across from him. "Harry and you are?"

"Simon. And you didn't answer my question," he said shaking Harry's hand.

Harry smiled slightly and shrugged. "Was training," he answered truthfully.

"These are a nice set of swords, Harry. Moon blades?" Terin asked.

Harry nodded. "I found them three months ago in the Manor. Master says they are over five centuries old. And Santo wouldn't let me leave without them."

Terin chuckled. "That sounds like Santo. So when were you turned? Father only mentioned you once after his last visit, but did not say when Prior Aurelius had turned you."

"I little over three months ago," Harry answered honestly, but he almost wished he hadn't when almost every head at the first year table turned to stare at him, as well as several from other tables. The most astonished eyes on him were the ones Harry could identify as Vampires. "What?" he asked.

"You've only been a Vampire for three months?" Medea questioned and Harry nodded again. "But your faster than a Master, and – and it took me at least a year to have enough control not to attack others after I was turned. And I guarantee that most every turned Vampire here would say the same thing." Several heads nodded in agreement.

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "I guess I just have really good self-restraint, and I was fast even as a Human," he said, brushing it aside. He knew he was different, but he didn't want to flaunt it too much. He remembered what Alia had said, everything was a competition here. It was better to hide or dumb down his talents.

Terin leaned closer to Harry. "I would _not_ mention that again. You haven't been told much about Lel, have you?"

Harry shook his head minutely. "I know it's a competitive school," he muttered.

Terin rolled her eyes. "Of course that is all you would know. Come on, we don't really have to attend the meals as we are allowed to hunt in the village as long as we don't kill anyone. I might as well fill you in before you get yourself into trouble," she said as she stood.

Harry nodded and got up to follow. "Right, good idea," he said lightly.

"Don't leave without me," Medea protested and got up to follow. "I've already memorized all the teachers and their titles; you're going to need to know those too."

Harry only shrugged again as he followed Terin, but before the three could leave the hall, an older student; a Vampire stepped in front of Harry's path, stopping him over the other two. "Excuse me," Harry said politely and made to walk around him but his shoulder was suddenly grabbed as the other Vampire growled challengingly.

Harry simply raised an eyebrow and glanced up at Aurelius who had rose from his seat. He saw a man beside his Sire shake his head at Aurelius and Aurelius sat down staring at Harry intently. Harry caught on pretty quickly. This boy was challenging him simply because he was new and he could. He now completely understood Alia's cryptic warnings.

"I suggest you let go of me," Harry said quietly, he'd rather this not turn into a scene.

"And why should I do that, Fledgling?" the brown haired Vampire asked arrogantly.

"I am going to break your arm if you do not," Harry hissed softly.

The Vampire scoffed. "I doubt it."

Harry didn't even blink before he moved. There was a loud crack and then the other Vampire was on the floor cradling his arm. It appeared as if Harry had barely moved. He looked down at the Vampire. "I would advise you to stay out of my way. I do not like being challenged," he said simply and then walked out of the hall. Terin and Medea looked around the hall briefly and then followed Harry.

"You may want to keep your head down for the next week or so. Several students are going to want to defeat you now," Medea said lightly as they walked though the Entrance Hall.

Harry glanced at the smaller Vampire. "That's a regular occurrence around here isn't it?"

Terin nodded beside her. "The rules state that you cannot walk away from a challenge, once issued verbally. You have to defeat the other, or they defeat you. Whether or not they want to humiliate you after they have defeated you is up to them and is not against the rules at all."

Harry stared at Terin. "Humiliate?" he asked.

"If you are defeated, your challenger has the right to ask you to do _anything_ they want as long as it's not against the Vampire's law, and you would be obligated not to refuse," Terin said quietly, not meeting Harry's eyes.

Harry suddenly understood what she meant by humiliate. This wasn't a school for childish pranks. He could only guess what some of the students would ask for. He sighed. "All right, what are these rules?"

"Killing can only be done in self-defense, if you truly believe another won't stop until you're dead, or if it's an accident, and believe me the Priors will know if it is or not," Medea lectured. "We saw a Master tear apart an older student last week for blatantly killing a younger student." Harry's eyes widened slightly at that.

"Though we are allowed to hunt in the village, we are not allowed to kill anyone and we can only feed from Humans, not wizards or other magical creatures. They take too much notice," Terin supplied. "This is a rule only for Vampires of course, and the Masters and Priors will know if you have fed from someone with magic."

"We have no curfew, though I wouldn't advise missing any classes. It is not wise to cross the Masters and especially not the Priors," Medea added.

"What are Priors, I know Aurelius is one, but I don't know what it is," Harry asked as they walked

"We have ranks at Lel. Each rank has to be earned by challenging either someone of the rank you are challenging for or higher. Lowest is no rank, which is what first years start out with. Then there are the base groups of Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Master, and Prior, which can be completed at any time over the course of six years," Medea explained.

Harry nodded. "Each rank has two standings; one of magic and one of physical combat. I am a War Novice in physical combat, though I would wager I would be at least a Warlord Adept if I were to challenge and win for it," Terin bragged. "Father of course wants me to leave here at least a Master in combat. He is not so much concerned about the magic aspects as long as I have at least one set of runes."

"Runes, Alia was teaching me runes. She has a symbol on the underside her right wrist."

"Yes, it's a runic marking. You get it when you complete your first set of runes. Not many do that before the third year, though. Most are an Adept in magic before they even attempt to make their runes, mainly because if you make a mistake the magical backlash is very hard to control and could possibly kill you," Medea explained almost chipper like.

"Priors in magic, like your Sire, have two sets of runic sequences. They can weave them with both hands. Only the most powerful in magic become Priors of course," Terin added.

Harry shrugged. "It almost seems like too much work to become a Prior when I have magic in abundance at my fingertips." He wasn't too impressed with runic magic. Sure Alia had done some pretty impressive things in his lessons with them, but Harry could do most of the same, and with far less effort, with a simple wave or flick of his wand when he was still a wizard. And even now, he was able to do many of the things he'd done with his wand with just a thought thanks to his Vampire abilities.

"Yes, but can you create a shield that would stand against the Wizard's Killing Curse?" Medea asked.

Harry stared at her with wide eyes. "You can do that?"

Medea laughed. "I can't silly, but almost every Adept who has completed their right hand rune sequence can."

"Runic magic is not like regular magic. It is pure power and deadly and perfect. Once your sequences are created, you cannot make a mistake. They will never fail you and not even a Wizard's block that can cut off the flow of magic in a person can stop it. You would be unstoppable to any ordinary magic user. Only someone else with runes could ever match you."

A small smirk came to Harry's lips at Terin's words. Magic that was unstoppable? His interest was definitely enticed. "Cool," he said simply.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	6. Challenges

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Six - Challenges

Harry had been at Lel Academe for a little over a month. In the beginning, he believed that perhaps he'd gain a bit more freedom being away from Saleio Manor, but he'd completely rescinded that belief. If anything, he felt more constricted.

It wasn't the rules that did it, or the strictness of the Masters and Priors, because they weren't all that strict, and rules, there weren't really that many. He wasn't even being bogged down with class work. It was pretty much free study outside of class. He learned what he wanted and classes were there to perfect it and give him extra knowledge that wasn't as easy to find on his own. The school was all about going at one's own pace.

Even the population wasn't a problem. Compared to what he was used to, there were hardly any students. There were only about thirty students per year, and no more than two hundred at the school at any given time, far less than Hogwarts.

What had him feeling less than free was the students. Not his own small group of friends, all first years, two Vampires, a Werewolf, a Centaur, and a Goblin of all things who he'd managed to gather around him. It was the older students, especially the Vampires that Harry had to worry about. He was like fresh meat to them. They seemed to single him out specifically because he was Aurelius' son, and he was the youngest turned Vampire at the school. It had only gotten worse when the fact that he was _the_ Harry Potter got spread around.

Harry was used to being stared at, he was used to gossip and ridicule behind his back, but what he wasn't used to, was having to sneak around school, always looking over his shoulder, just to avoid being challenged. He'd won the challenges easily enough at first, and he'd thought that maybe they'd become bored eventually and give up, but then he'd been challenged by an Adept. Apparently, they had been testing him and when he proved to be a match in both magic and combat, then the older students started in on him, and his challenges always seemed to draw a crowd.

Harry supposed he'd been lucky so far, he'd not had to do anything too humiliating yet, but the last time he'd lost, he'd ended up being the Vampire's personal slave for a day. At first, he'd thought it would be amusing and everyone would laugh about it and then it would be forgotten. Aurelius, however, had been furious. He'd ranted on about the shame Harry had brought to the Clan in front of the entire school. He'd been embarrassed beyond any experience he'd had in his life. Harry was determined not to have that happen again. So he was keeping his head down until he had learned more.

"Harry!" a voice yelled into his ear and Harry nearly jumped and spun around. Terin was doubled over laughing and Medea was looking around all innocent like.

"Not amusing," Harry growled seriously, taking in a deep breath to calm his already on edge nerves.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself. What are you doing anyway?" Medea asked, flicking her long brown ponytail over her shoulder and trying to look past Harry.

Harry looked around the corner he'd been looking around moments ago and then looked back at the two girls. "Leas from the Tormen Clan has been trying to issue a challenge to me all week. I have managed to avoid him so far, but he's waiting for me outside of the Runes classroom."

Terin sobered immediately at that. "Oh no," she whispered.

Harry nodded and looked around the corner again, he was waiting for a clear shot into his next class, but Leas, in all his pompous glory was standing just outside the door speaking with Master Donavan, the Runes teacher and one of Harry's blood cousins.

All the first years knew about Leas, the light haired Adonis that more than one female was trying to get a marriage contract with. He was one of the most powerful students at the Adept status. Rumors had it that he was going to be challenging for Master in magic before the term was out and he'd only been at the Academy for three years. Harry normally wouldn't be hiding from a challenge, even if he knew he was going to lose, but for the other rumors that had been going around about him. Anyone who fought and lost against Leas, tended to end up in his bed, less than willingly, and he always won.

"What are you going to do?" Terin asked.

"Keep my head down, and hope he forgets about me," Harry said quietly.

Medea looked at Harry with sympathy in her eyes. "We're going to be late for class, I don't know if you can avoid this one," she said looking around the corner herself.

Terin walked out around the corner. "Stay here, I will create a diversion and then you can slip into class without him noticing you."

"Wait, Terin, what if he challenges you?" Harry tried to ask in a whisper, but Terin simply smirked and walked towards Leas and Master Donavan.

"He wouldn't dare," Medea whispered next to him as she watched.

"Why not?" asked Harry, looking down at the girl.

"Because she's a Danwin," Medea said simply, as if that explained everything. Harry didn't get it, he might have had he finished reading about the other Vampire Clans before coming to Lel. He did know Terin's father was powerful and an Elder, but he knew nothing about the Clan itself.

"Leas," Terin said as she sauntered up to the older Vampires. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Leas nodded to Master Donavan and said that he'd finish speaking with him later and then turned to Terin. "Of course, Lady Terinnia," he said politely.

Terin moved around Leas so that his back was to Harry and he couldn't see the classroom door from where he was standing and then subtly wiggled her fingers in a sign to get a move on. "Father says the Tormen swords master trained with one of our sword mistresses, but he didn't tell me which one. I was hoping you could answer the question for me so I wouldn't have to bother Father again this week."

Harry looked down at Medea for a moment and then moving with all of his speed, he raced into the classroom, Medea quickly followed at a slower pace. Medea chuckled as Harry breathed a sigh of relief and took his seat in the semi-circle of chairs near the front of the classroom, next to Medea.

Terin came in a moment later with a smug smile on her face and Harry nodded his thinks, leaning into her shoulder as she sat down on his other side. "Thank you," he whispered into her ear.

"That is what friends are for, correct?" she said back.

"Why does it look like Leas Tormen just swallowed something foul?" Simon ask as he sat down next to Medea.

"That would be my fault, I just tricked him into missing a chance to challenge Harry," Terin said, pulling out her leather bound journal that she kept her rune notes in.

"He's still after you?" Simon asked incredulously.

Harry nodded. "I don't know what I did to gain his attentions, but Master Aurelius is going to be livid if I get dominated in my first year here, let alone my first couple months. You all saw him after the slave for a day thing. I can only imagine what he is going to do to me if _that_ happens."

"It sounds like you are more concerned about what Prior Aurelius is going to say than actually being forced into someone's bed," Simon commented. "I think I would be a bit more worried about the forced sex more than what my Master would think."

"You're not a Vampire, Simon," Medea said. "Being dominated, especially by a Vampire from another Clan, brings shame onto the whole Clan. One of my blood brothers was dominated a few months ago and Mistress Sarnia nearly exiled him. I'm just glad that most people look at me like I'm still a little kid and not the eighteen-year-old that I am. It weirds them out too much to even think about dominating me."

"Lucky," Harry muttered.

"It will be all right, Harry," Terin said, taking his hand. "We'll just have to keep playing interference unit he gives up."

Harry smiled at Terin and then kissed her cheek. "I knew there was a reason I liked you so much." Terin blushed lightly.

Harry suddenly stiffened as Leas walked into the room with Master Donavan. Leas leered smugly at Harry and Terin squeezed his hand. What was he doing here?

"Leas has graciously offered his assistance during his free period today. As he has already completed his right hand rune sequence, I hope you will all feel free to ask him any questions you have while we work on the base runes for manipulation of air," Donavan announced and then proceeded to start his lecture.

Harry couldn't have concentrated if he'd wanted to. Leas was walking around the classroom while everyone else was working diligently. He stopped at different students to give suggestions, but mostly he kept his light blue eyes on Harry.

Leas finally walked up to Harry's group and stood behind Harry's chair. Terin looked up at him, as did Medea and Simon, but Harry simply stared straight ahead as Leas placed his hands on Harry's shoulders firmly. He leaned down so that his mouth was next to Harry's ear.

"I Challenge You, at midnight tonight in the west courtyard, come alone. And if you do not show, I will make your life a living hell," Leas whispered and then waiting for Harry's stiff nod, moved away.

"You have to beat him," Medea whispered.

Harry felt like banging his head into a brick wall. "And how do you expect me to do that?" he asked just as quietly and then glared when Leas smirked at him smugly.

"I don't know," she answered.

The class almost sped by too quickly after that and Harry was packed and ready to race out of the classroom when Master Donavan stopped him. Harry nodded for Terin, Medea, and Simon to go on without him, as they looked back at him and then he turned back to Donavan.

Donavan waited until everyone else had left and then he turned on Harry. "Master Aurelius is not going to like this."

"It's not as if I have a choice. He challenged _me_, not the other way around!"

Donavan held up a hand. "I know. You have to beat him," he stated.

Harry nearly rolled his eyes. "Yes, that is obvious, if you know a way, please, _cousin_, enlighten me!"

Donavan sighed and ran a hand through his hair and then nodded to himself decisively. "You are exceptional with your swords. Because he issued the challenge, you have the option to choose either to fight him with magic or combat. With any luck, he will choose his own sword as his weapon. He is still a low level Adept at combat."

"That's your brilliant idea; I'm not even a Novice yet! I'm so going to lose!"

"Maybe not, you did best Santo," Donavan said brightly.

Harry shook his head and then left the classroom, resigning himself to his fate.

...

Harry paced his room a half an hour till midnight. His Goblin roommate and friend, Ohmann, sat cross-legged on his bed, watching him silently as he walked from one side of the room to the other. "How long's he been doing that?" Medea suddenly asked from their open door, watching their friend pace.

"About four hours," Ohmann answered simply, still watching Harry with an amused smirk on his face as if he was the most interesting thing in the world.

"What do you suppose is the worst thing that could happen if I don't show?" Harry suddenly asked, stopping in the middle of the room.

Medea cringed. "I honestly don't want to think about it, Harry."

"I'm so screwed," Harry whimpered.

"Actually that's probably a very correct statement," a light Scottish brogue commented from behind Medea. Harry whimpered again and restarted his pacing.

"I don't think you're helping any, Lorex," Medea said over her shoulder to the centaur standing behind her in the wide hallway. He shrugged sheepishly.

Harry stopped his pacing and looked over at the clock. He took in a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "I suppose I should be going," Harry said more to himself than the others.

"Don't worry so much, Harry. I am sure Prior Aurelius will understand. It is not as if you have any choice. He challenged you, you cannot back down," Terin said, squeezing her way past Lorex, who took up most of the doorway. "And at least he is handsome. I mean, can you imagine if it were Dorney? That brow alone is something to fear," she added with a slight shiver.

Harry snorted. "True enough," he agreed with a shake of his head and then lifted his swords from his rack. "Wish me luck, I think I'm going to need it," he said and then left the room, his friends looking after him with sympathy in their eyes.

Harry was halfway to the west courtyard when Aurelius stepped out of the shadows in front of him. Harry stopped and looked at his Master in trepidation as the Vampire circled him, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

"I'm sorry, Master," Harry whispered bowing his head.

Aurelius stopped and stepped up to him. He placed his fingers under Harry's chin and lifted his head so he could look into his eyes. "You believe you will lose?"

"Yes," he answered lowering his eyes, ashamed already just by the look in Aurelius' eyes.

"I believe you will not." Harry frowned in confusion, and looked up again. "You will win, my son," Aurelius commanded and then released Harry and turned on his heel. "Come, I will watch."

Harry stared after his Master for a moment before following hesitantly. This wasn't good. He was embarrassed enough that he knew he was going to lose, but to do so in front of his Master… There had to be a way for him to win, or if not, for him to lose without having to consent to whatever Leas wanted, it would at least be marginally less humiliating that way.

Harry and Aurelius arrived just as the midnight bell sounded throughout the palace. Leas narrowed his eyes slightly at seeing Aurelius, but then smiled in a rather cruel fashion. He'd obviously come to the same conclusion as Harry had. This had just become so much more humiliating for the Wizard turned Vampire.

Harry swallowed and then unsheathed his swords, making his intensions known without words that he chose combat over magic. Leas kept his smug smile and brought forth his own sword, much different from Harry's own. Harry watched warily as Leas circled him. His mind was still running through a thousand possibilities that would help him to save face in this situation, but each one he discarded, because each one led to him being labeled a coward. Harry glanced over at Aurelius and then an idea came to him.

"Master?" asked Harry, causing Aurelius attention to focus solely on him, and Leas to stop where he was.

...

Around three o'clock in the morning, Harry walked into the first years' wing in a daze. Terin and Medea were still up and waiting for him. They both jumped up from their seats when they saw him. Terin looked him over and then frowned in confusion.

"Harry?" Medea asked.

Harry blinked, just realizing that they were standing in front of him. "I won."

Terin's eyes widened. "What? Really, how, I mean what happened?" she asked in quick succession.

Harry thought about that himself for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how he'd done it, just that he had. "Master Donavan suggested challenging in combat," Harry said lightly, still in thought.

"And?" asked Terin.

"So I did," Harry said simply.

"You chose combat over magic?" Medea asked. "How did that go?"

"No," Harry shook his head. "No, I was on my way there with the intent of choosing combat when I ran into Master Aurelius. Master Donavan must have told him what was happening tonight and he insisted on watching. It was already humiliating enough that I was certain I was going to lose, I couldn't take Master seeing that and of course the aftermath. So to save face I challenge back, for rank of Adept in combat. It was the only way I could think of to save myself."

Terin and Medea both stared at him in shock.

"Master Aurelius agreed to witness the challenge and Leas chose swords, because that was what he was going to use anyway, and – and I won," Harry said with a small shrug, still a bit dazed at the revelation himself. He'd just made Adept in combat and he wasn't even out of the first two months of school yet!

"Oh my God, Harry!" Medea squealed. "That's like - that's, I think you just set a school record or something!"

Harry could only nod as Terin hugged him. "I knew you would find a way to win," she said with a smile.

"Course, because you changed the challenge, you can't make him your personal slave or anything," Medea pointed out.

Terin simply lifted an eyebrow and smirked. "Do not worry. He will be humiliated whether he realizes or not. Do you know how many people are going to try and challenge him now that he lost in a rank challenge to a first year? He has been undefeated for so long because he only challenges those in younger years, now he is going to have to go up against the older students. He is still a third year, no matter how far he has gone in study, and now he is going to be reminded of that."

Harry and Medea both smirked as well.

...

The next morning was different for Harry. He walked down to the Dining Hall with Medea, Terin, Simon, Lorex, and Ohmann, as he usually did, but what made the morning different, was the students stepping aside to let the group pass, all watching Harry closely. Clearly they'd learned of the incident from the night before. With such a small population, it wasn't surprising.

Harry, Terin, and Medea didn't have to attend the morning meal, but none of them had gone out hunting the night before, and blood was supplied to the ones who didn't take the opportunity. It wasn't Human blood, but sufficed until they would be able to hunt again.

"Umm, is it just me, or are people treating us like royalty all of a sudden?" Simon asked, just noticing the parting crowds of students on their way to breakfast.

Medea and Terin both started laughing and Simon looked at them odd.

"Harry challenged and won for the rank of Adept in combat last night," Terin said smugly.

Simon stopped dead in his tracks. "You can do that? But you aren't even a Novice!"

Harry shrugged. "I didn't know I could either. I panicked, to be honest, and Master Aurelius agreed to witness."

"Are you going to be skipping steps in magic as well?" Ohmann inquired as Simon ran to catch up with the group who hadn't stopped.

Harry looked down at the goblin. "I don't think so, Ohmann. I think it was a fluke I won last night to be truthful. I only did what I did because I didn't want to let Master Aurelius and the Clan down again."

Ohmann nodded thoughtfully as they entered the Hall. The Goblin had once told Harry that the ways of other cultures had always interested him. He was completely different to any other Goblin Harry had ever met. The group stopped as Leas stepped out in front of them and most of the hall fell silent.

"You are a coward, Potter," he spat.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "No, just smarter than you are, and apparently a better fighter," he said with a smirk.

"If you believe you are not the coward you are, challenge me again!" Leas demanded.

"Now, why would I ever want to do that?" Harry glanced over at Terin. "Could it be so he can choose magic and lose regardless?" he scoffed. Terin smirked slightly, but didn't laugh. She shared a nervous glance with their other companions. Nearly the whole school was watching.

"We both know you are struggling with magic, Potter," Leas hissed. "You may be gifted with swords, but you are still less than a basic Wizard in magic."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I am not."

"Really, prove it then? Challenge me!"

"No," Harry stated firmly. "I've beaten you, take the loss gracefully," he hissed and started to walk away.

"The great Harry Potter really is a coward," Harry continued walking, he'd been insulted before. "It is just as well, your magic could never stand up to mine, or anyone's here I'd wager." Harry stilled mid step, but then continued walking. He would not be baited. "Just as I thought, a powerless coward, much like that Dark Wizard of a godfather of yours."

Harry spun back around abruptly. "Don't you dare say a word about my godfather!" he hissed and he felt the same swell of magic he'd used against his uncle bubble up inside him. Harry didn't stop it and he saw his friends all stare at him nervously.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Leas asked arrogantly.

A calm came over Harry and he took a step forward. "I am warning you Leas, do not say another word," he said quietly, threateningly.

The Masters and Priors present at the Head Table all stood up at the deadly warning in his tone. Harry's group of friends took several steps back. They'd never seen him like this before, only one person had, and he was dead.

"Do you care about your criminal godfather, cowering away somewhere in hiding, afraid to face his crimes?" Leas continued boldly.

Harry narrowed his eyes slightly and then Leas was flying backwards until he smashed into the sandstone wall. And he knew that the Vampire would be dead now if he were Human. Harry was in front of him with his hand around his throat not half a second later.

"You should not speak about things you do not know about. My godfather was the bravest man I ever met. He _died_ to save my life!" Harry spat into the choking Vampire's face. He cocked an eyebrow. "By every right, I should kill you for insulting me and my family." Harry dropped Leas. "But I don't like to kill."

Harry took a step back, turned and then walked out of the Hall. Many eyes followed his progress until he disappeared, none more intently than Aurelius and the other Priors and Masters.

"Leas should be dead right now," Prior Masse commented. Aurelius nodded.

"The restraint is remarkable. You told us, but to see it firsthand…" Prior Benjamin whispered.

"Yes, my Heir is amazing," Aurelius said with a smirk on his lips that warped into a frown not long after. "However, Leas Tormen is correct, he is behind in magic, and it's because he's holding back," he stated and then left the hall himself.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	7. Captured

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Seven – Captured

Harry paced angrily in his Master's suite. It had been several weeks since he'd gained the title of Adept in combat and he'd found himself beaten several times in magical duels he thought for sure he should have won since then. Aurelius was not happy, which was why Harry was there now. His Master had demanded his presence, even though he'd be missing his Magical Combat class, which to his own disgust, he was doing horribly in. It didn't help that the Centaur who taught the class, Prior Masse, only picked on him more for his weakness. He was a demonstration in ineptitude and the entire class knew it.

The door suddenly slammed behind Harry, making him whirl around on his heel. "Master, I am trying…"

"Silence," Aurelius cut him off before he could even completely defend himself and Harry fell silent, knowing it unwise to continue. He walked around Harry to his desk and picked up an object. "I know you have been practicing, I did not call you here to discuss trivial ordeals involving the school. We have a bigger problem to worry about."

Aurelius handed Harry the wrapped object. Harry was surprised that it was heavier than the size would have suggested. He glanced up at Aurelius questioningly before pulling aside the cloth wrapping without touching the object underneath. He looked back up at Aurelius again in confusion. "I don't understand."

Aurelius raised his hand and then placed just the tip of his finger on the silvery iridescent object. Harry almost jerked it away when his Master's finger started to burn. Aurelius hissed and then pulled his hand away himself. It took a moment, but his finger healed, though it did so much more slowly than it should have.

"What you hold in your hand is called Dark Silver and it is one of the few substances that can kill us," Aurelius explained.

Harry stared down at the iridescent stone like object that he was a little more than wary to be holding now. "Dark Silver," Harry whispered. "I think read about that somewhere," he said thoughtfully, trying to remember where it had been, before he'd become a Vampire, he was sure on that, but he couldn't recall what he'd read about it, or where.

"We have no real history on it, only that it is rumored to have been created thousands of years ago by The Broken Covenant, the Destroyers, now extinct from this world," Aurelius explained gravely.

Harry recalling what he'd read about the Covens after the servant girl had attacked him. About the four brothers who were apart of one of the first Covens, but had broken the Covenant they were bound to and nearly destroyed a civilization. There was little history on them, only that their own Coven had eventually killed them. Harry had remembered thinking as he'd read that, that it seemed inaccurate, but he couldn't say why. They had been called Destroyers rather than Slayers because Slayers killed few, and only those who deserved it, while the Destroyers had killed thousands.

"The Covenant Slayers killed them all," Harry said, still finding that statement untrue, but it had been what he'd read.

"Yes," Aurelius said and then pointed at the Dark Silver. "This is what it looks like in its raw form. As you saw, it burns upon skin contact, but does little else damage if removed quickly. Barely a threat as it is in your hand. Melted down, however, it is a deadly poison that stays liquid until cooled with magic. It also makes a formidable weapon when molded into a blade," Aurelius said plainly.

"That's what you meant when you'd said if the blade had been made as it should, after I… after that girl attacked me," Harry said, he still didn't like to acknowledge that he'd killed her.

Aurelius nodded. "Yes."

Harry looked back up to his Master, trying to find polite words to seek answers as to why he was being shown this only now when it was so dangerous to him and the Clan. "Someone, another Clan, has this stuff?" he asked instead.

"No, a Coven does," he said seriously and Harry's eyes widened slightly. "Fortunately, it is very hard to find, and it takes strong magic to melt it down. I and the other Elders, however, prefer what they have to be destroyed before they have the opportunity to use it at its full potential."

Harry shook his head. "I know I'm good in combat, but…"

"I will not be sending you on this mission. Covenant Slayers, fully trained and organized ones, can be very dangerous to many creatures, not only Vampires. The Clans therefore are sending one person each, their strongest warrior, to both destroy the Dark Silver and decimate as much of the Coven as they can. I am charging you with another duty. We have a protection pact between the Danwin Clan and ours. Terinnia's betrothed, her mate, is going on behalf of the Danwin Clan…"

"Terin has a mate?" Harry interrupted in shock. He never would have guessed, and she'd never mentioned it. Of course Harry now understood why Terin was never fully responsive to his advances. He rather felt guilty now.

Aurelius simply nodded, ignoring Harry's interruption and there was amusement in his eyes that he didn't show in his voice. "She is going to be compelled to follow if he is injured, she'll want to protect her mate. You are to keep her from doing so. You are her protection for the next two days and will stay with her wherever she goes. Do not let her slip away from you. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Master, I understand. I swear I will not let her out of my sight."

Aurelius rewrapped the iridescent stone and took it from Harry, who sighed in relief before he could catch himself. His Master smirked slightly at him. "After this mission is complete, in the southern central courtyard there is a lever which drops a section of the fountain into the basement of the palace. If you can find it, you will have a place to practice day and night without anyone interrupting or seeing you. I suggest you do so. I don't want to see you losing any more challenges in magic."

Harry nodded again, already thinking about where the lever might be hidden, a space to practice unhindered and unseen was just what Harry needed. Too many knew his strengths and weaknesses. He needed an edge over the others. If he didn't get one soon he knew he'd be dominated and he wouldn't disgrace his Clan like that. Aurelius motioned that he could go and Harry took off quickly, hoping to catch the last of his Magical Combat class, even if Prior Masse used him as a demonstration object again.

...

True to his oath, Harry hadn't let Terin out of his sight for the rest of the day and he wasn't surprised by the glares she was sending his way as she sat down in the first year's wing and he sat down across from her, trying to look innocent.

"I know what you are doing, Harry," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I am not stupid, and I don't need a minder. I know Doran can take care of himself, so you don't have to worry about me running off to help him."

"Maybe not, but Master told me not to let you out of my sight, so I'm not going to."

Terin rolled her eyes and sighed. "Well we might as well do something productive if you are just going to sit there and stare at me all night."

Harry perked up, he was getting rather bored. "What do you have in mind?"

"A bit of sparring, if you are willing."

Harry smirked and stood back up. "Only if you promise to let me win once or twice," he said.

"What's the matter, Harry, your ego can't take getting thrashed further," Terin quipped.

Harry shook his head. "You have no idea," he said with a chuckle. "Come on, I think the north courtyard is empty."

The north courtyard was the closest to the first year's wing, in fact, it was directly below it. Half the courtyard was open to the air and the other half ran underneath the main common room, which was supported by huge decorated columns. Of all the courtyards Harry had visited since coming to the school, Harry liked the north courtyard the best. Each of the fountains found in the courtyards were different, this one was separated into twelve segments, each embedded into the columns that supported the floor above it, and each showing a different animal face on the area above the basin, where the water continuously flowed from the animal's mouth.

Terin moved out into the open area of the courtyard after putting her Clan robe on the edge of the stoned portion of the ground, along with her thin rapier style sword that had an intricately woven silver and gold hilt. She was wearing loose white cotton pants that tied at the waist and a form fitting light blue shirt. Harry had to admire her figure as she moved around lightly, to get a feel for her soundings. It was too bad she had a mate, though Harry suspected that it never would have worked out between them anyway. They'd probably end up killing each other given enough time. Still, she certainly had the right everything in the right everywhere. Her mate was a lucky man.

"Enjoying yourself, Harry?" Terin asked with a smirk.

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said dumbly and then blinked and realized that he was still staring. "Umm, I mean, yeah, I can take you, you're tiny," Harry said decisively and looked away, biting the inside of his lip to keep from cursing at himself.

Terin chuckled. "I don't mind you looking, I find it flattering."

"If you knew what I was thinking, you wouldn't," Harry muttered, though he was sure Terin heard him clearly enough. He removed his own robe and swords, leaving them next to Terin's and then walked over to stand in front of her. "So, do we just attack each other and see who wins?" Harry asked.

Terin smiled and then moved in a blur. Harry found himself flat on his back and pinned to the ground not a half second later. He blinked up a bit dazed into Terin's amused hazel eyes. "If we do that, you're going to find yourself in this position quite often," she stated, still smiling.

Harry nodded. "Right, set parameters then, and teach me how you did that?"

Terin chuckled, nodded and then pulled Harry back to his feet. "I will teach you everything I know."

...

Harry looked up to the moonlit sky and then over to Terin who was resting on her back in the grass, she looked stressed, even after their intense sparring session. "Want to go to town?" he asked after a moment.

Terin seemed to perk up a bit at that. "I can leave the palace?" she asked.

"I only swore I wouldn't let you out of my sight. Besides, I didn't get a chance to feed yesterday," Harry muttered the last.

Terin sat up quickly. "Harry, why didn't you say something, we could have gone long before now!"

"I'm fine," Harry said and then pushed himself off the column he was leaning against. He picked up his Clan robe and swung it around his shoulders, not putting his arms through the sleeves. He then reached for his swords, but Terin stopped him.

"You can't keep doing this. You are a newborn Vampire no matter how much restraint you have. One of these days you are going to lose control and attack someone," she stated firmly.

"I'm fine," Harry stated again and then picked up his swords. "Let's go, so we can get back. I don't want Master thinking I'm being careless with you."

Terin sighed and then nodded and grabbed her own things. It was an old argument that her and Medea continued to dwell on. Harry knew his limits and wouldn't push them, but the others all looked at him as a typical Vampire when he was anything but.

As it was so late, it was almost morning as the two wandered through the small town. That didn't, however, mean that no one was about. Harry motioned for ladies first, as they saw a couple who were obviously tourists, walking briskly down the main thoroughfare. Terin smirked at him and then sauntered up to the pair. Harry held back for a moment, watching as she commandeered the two Humans' minds and pulled the woman of the couple away.

Harry rolled his eyes at her smirk. She'd been insisting that he had a thing for guys from almost the beginning of the school term. Harry hadn't denied it, but also didn't say that he did. Call him a little bit vain, but he admired beauty in any form. He didn't think that he'd actively seek a bloke for his mate, but he wasn't too picky either. The funny thing was, that he hadn't started to notice this until he was turned and he kind of wished he had, perhaps his attraction to Cho would have been less had he opened himself to other possibilities.

Harry walked up behind the dazed man and pulled him back against him. He could feel his fangs lengthening in anticipation as he commanded the man to relax with a husky whisper. The first time he'd hunted had been controlled by instinct. The second time, after he'd come to the school, Harry had been nervous. He hadn't been in the middle of a Blood Rage and so had his own guilty thoughts about what he was doing. Now, he savored the moment, enjoyed it.

Harry was centimeters from sinking his teeth into the man's soft neck when he heard Terin gasp. He looked up, and at the panic he saw in her eyes, pushed the man away from him. "Terin, he'll be fine," he said grabbing her arms and making her look up at him. Her eyes were glazed. She was obviously seeing what her mate was. Harry didn't know how to snap her out of it.

"What on earth?"

Harry looked over at the couple who were coming around with Terin and Harry's distraction. He hissed and then concentrated on their minds, not letting go of Terin. "Go away and forget about what you've seen tonight," Harry ordered and the two nodded dazedly and walked away. Harry sighed and looked back at Terin, her eyes were panicked again. "Terin, please, he'll be fine."

Harry suddenly found himself thrown to the ground hard, with Terin standing over him. "No he won't," Terin said and then disappeared in a cloud of black.

"Shit!" Now it was Harry who was panicking. He'd not mastered that skill yet. He'd not had a need to. He jumped back to his feet and sprinted towards the school, his movements a blur to the Human eye. His Master was going to kill him when he found out about this! And if something happened to Terin, he'd never forgive himself.

Harry knew that Aurelius wasn't at the school, so he went to the one other person he knew could help. He was halfway down the corridor that led to Donavan's rooms when he literally ran into Leas. At the speed Harry was going, the two ended up toppling quite a ways down the hall and landed in a tangled heap on the floor.

"Potter, what are you trying to do kill someone?" Leas hissed and pushed Harry away from him with a disgusted glare in his eyes.

"Terin's gone to help her mate, I have to stop her," Harry said simply and then jumped up and sprinted down the rest of the hall. He stopped and banged on Donavan's door.

The door flew open almost as if he was expecting him, although the fact that he was wearing nothing but a towel was a bit shocking. "Leas, what took you so long…? Harry, what are you doing here?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"I'm going to ignore this, and pretend it never happened," Harry stated as he shook his head. "Terin's gone after her mate, just _poof,_ disappeared. Master's going to kill me if I don't get her back, Now!"

Donavan's eyes widened. "Shit," he stated and then disappeared into his room, presumably to get dressed.

"How could you let her get away?" Leas demanded, coming up beside Harry. "You know she's the Heir to the Danwin Clan. It will not only be your master who tears you apart if something happens to her."

"I'm well aware of that thank you very much, Leas. I would have followed if I could, but I haven't mastered that skill yet," Harry hissed uncomfortably and Leas scoffed at his discomfort.

"They should have left her to be protected by someone who actually has the _power_ to protect her," Leas said arrogantly.

Harry growled at him, but otherwise ignored him. This wasn't the time or place for arguments. Though on some level Leas was correct, if Harry were more powerful, Terin wouldn't have gotten away from him.

Donavan appeared not a second later, this time fully clothed. He held out his hand to Harry and Harry looked at him in confusion. "You are going with me, you got yourself into this mess and you will get yourself out," he said and Harry took his arm without hesitation. He hadn't thought he'd be allowed to go, but was glad he was given the chance. He hated having to sit by and wait while others fixed his mistakes. They disappeared in a cloud of black not a moment later, leaving Leas behind.

Where they landed, it was to almost complete silence and it wasn't because the hall they arrived in was empty. It was because so many were dead. It clearly wasn't a small Coven that had gotten a hold of the Dark Silver. Donavan pushed Harry towards the edge of the room. "She is over there, do not get killed," he ordered before he moved to destroy a Slayer about to take the head of a Vampire from another Clan.

Harry was by Terin's side not a second later. She looked up from where she was crouched and then threw herself into Harry's arms. "He's dead, I was too late," she gasped out and Harry tightened his arms around her even as he surveyed the room. It had been a blood bath for both sides. There were still a few alive and they were still trying to kill each other, but where Harry stood, there was nothing but bodies. He'd never seen so much death in one place before.

Harry looked down to who was obviously Terin's mate. At first glance, he didn't look like he had a scratch on him, but then Harry saw the small dart in his neck and as he glanced around and saw others in similar conditions, he understood that the Coven had managed to melt down the Dark Silver.

"I'm so sorry, Terin," he whispered into her shoulder, looking away from the body.

"Well isn't that just sweet. A couple of blood sucking love birds," a voice said to their right.

Harry stared at the dark haired woman for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she was a threat. When he saw the blood stained sword in her hand, he pushed Terin behind him and pulled one of his own swords. Terin clutched to his arm and eyed the blade in the woman's hand.

"It's made of Dark Silver," she gasped.

"I know," Harry said simply and was about to take a step forward when Terin pull him back.

"Harry…"

"Go back to the palace, Terin."

"We'll go together," she argued.

"Can you transport me?" Harry asked simply.

"N-no," she admitted.

"Go back, you're more important than I am," Harry said and then moved towards the woman who was watching the interaction with a bit of amusement in her eyes.

"You think you can beat me, do you Vampire?" the slayer said with a smirk.

"No," Harry said honestly, eyeing her sword again. "Where did you get the Dark Silver?" he asked. Harry had been wondering where they had obtained it from since his Master had revealed it. If it was as hard to find as Aurelius had claimed, how did they get it? Harry would think that something so deadly to them would be guarded by their kind.

"You like my sword?" the woman said, raising it to show off the gleaming iridescent blade.

"Where did you get it?" Harry asked again, circling the woman.

She laughed, showing off fangs that should not have been present in a Human. "None of you have guessed yet?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "You're one of us."

The woman laughed again. "Silly Vampire, Covenant Slayers cannot be Vampires, we take an oath that prevents us from living through the transformation."

"You're not Human," Harry stated, he knew that for certain, but he was confused. Aurelius had told him that all Covenant Slayer's were Human, some magical, some not, but all Human. "But you aren't Vampire, what are you?"

She smiled. "I am a Shifter," she stated and then flew at him.

Harry quickly defended himself as she slashed out at him. She was fast, almost as fast as him, and she moved with a grace that told him that she'd been fighting far longer than him. Their swords clashed over and over again and they moved faster and faster. Harry had never had to fight like this and he was now starting to realize why the Clans had sent the best warriors to deal with the Coven. But did they know what they had become beforehand?

Harry dropped his sword as his arm was slashed. The wound burned, but more worrisome was the pain that spread out from the deep gash. There was liquid Dark Silver on the blade. He hissed as he pushed past the pain from the poison running up his arm and quickly pulled his other blade out to parry the next blow. He could hear Donavan yelling for him to back off. He was about to hit her with magic.

Harry tried, but she kept advancing, putting him between her and Donavan. He narrowed his eyes and blasted her with is mind, like he'd done to Leas. She was pushed back a foot, but it only left Harry open to attack. Harry tried to block, but he wasn't fast enough and she slashed him across the chest. Harry gasped in pain as he stumbled back and then she was being blasted across the room away from him.

Harry dropped to his knees not a moment later. He could feel the poison from the Dark Silver running through his veins more quickly and his blood was swiftly soaking his robes. He was dying. Terin fell to her knees beside him as he fell backwards and she caught him. "Harry!" she sobbed. "Please not you too, I'm sorry, so sorry!"

Harry smiled slightly up at her even as he clenched his teeth against the pain. "Not your fault," he gasped out.

Donavan appeared above them with three others. He closed his eyes briefly when he saw Harry. Harry looked around and saw that the Slayer's weren't all dead, there was a few of them left, too many. If they stayed, they'd all die here.

"Go," Harry rasped. "They need to know and they won't if you die too," he ordered through clenched teeth. He'd never given an order to one of his Clan before. He knew as Aurelius' Heir he could, but never had to. He could see the effect on Donavan as the older Vampire nodded stiffly.

"Harry," Terin cried as Donavan pulled her away. "Please we can take him back with us," she pleaded.

"He's been poisoned, he cannot travel our way," Donavan said sadly.

"No, Harry!" she yelled before Donavan disappeared with her.

Harry looked up to the other three Vampires, who were still looking down at him. "Tell them they're shifters of some sort," Harry whispered. "Tell them I think they're working with a Vampire. Tell Aurelius, I'm sorry."

The three nodded and just before they were surrounded, they disappeared in a cloud of black. Harry looked up to the Slayers as they surrounded him. He fully expected to be killed right then before the poison could run its course, but they just stood there staring at him.

"He should be dead," one of them stated as he looked up at the others.

"And yet he's not," the woman, who Harry had fought, stated as she walked with a small limp into the circle that was formed around him. "Looks like we have ourselves a prisoner, boys, bring him to Djaq."

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	8. Blood Rage

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

_**Author's Note**__: Just to let you know, there's a bit of violence in this chapter, mention of non-consensual sex, and a reminder that this story is rated M for a reason. Enjoy!_

Chapter Eight – Blood Rage

Harry had passed out somewhere between them lifting him up and them taking him to where he was now. When he'd finally succumbed to unconsciousness, he'd thought he wouldn't be waking up again, that the poison from the Dark Silver had only worked more slowly in him, so he was rather surprised when he regained consciousness a few minutes ago.

At first, he'd faked that he wasn't awake so as not to alert his captors, but then he quickly realized that he was alone. Now he was trying to figure out a way to get himself out of the cage he was in. There didn't appear to be a lock, or hinges to indicate a door at all. The cage itself was hanging from a high ceiling and was at least twenty feet off the ground. He was quite clearly in some sort of warehouse, indicative of the steel columns and beams, concrete flooring, metal walls and florescent lighting.

After attempting to simply pry the bars apart with no success, he gave up looking for a way out and sat back down to wait. There really was little else he could do. He thought momentarily about using magic, but figured that as the cage was able to hold him, it was probably magically enhanced, and it wouldn't do him any good anyway. Not that he was certain he could do an unlocking charm at the moment. He hadn't even been able to completely stand, he felt so weak, and the cage swayed from his movement as he tried.

He picked up his robes that had been in a corner of the cage when he'd woken, and pulled them on if only to preserve some of his modesty. At some point while he was out, they'd removed his shirt, shoes and socks, and not left them as they'd done his robes. He supposed he was lucky they'd let him keep his pants, though he wondered what they'd done to him while he was out.

He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious for, but the wound on his chest was healed, though there was a thin white scar in its place that ran from just above the left side of his collarbone to below his right ribcage. He wasn't aware Vampires could scar, but it probably had something to do with the Dark Silver. He remembered how Aurelius' finger had taken longer than normal to heal after touching it in its raw form.

Harry looked up from his thoughts as he heard the sliding of the large door on his left. He looked down as a group of Humans walked in. One of them was rolling a cart with some sort of medical instruments on it and another with a gurney that looked like something that belonged in a coroner's office or morgue. It was more of a metal table on wheels and it had leather straps that were clearly meant to hold someone down. Hold him down, he realized with a feeling of dread. What were they going to do to him?

Harry threw himself at the bars in a last ditch effort to escape, but it simply sent the cage swinging and him left to balance in the tight space until it stopped. The people below him barely glanced up, but he could see some of them smirk to each other before they left back the way they had come, closing the door behind them.

Harry sat back down slowly. He knew what they were doing, they were trying to scare him, to make him panic. Well he wasn't going to play along. He'd wait them out, and when they were secure in their belief that he was going to cooperate, he'd turn against them, and escape. And when he got back to the school, the first thing he was going to do was learn how to Vanish. This all could have been prevented had he known how to follow Terin to begin with.

Harry tensed slightly when the door slid open again. This time it wasn't only Humans who came through. Harry shakily stood back up, even if he was hunched over, and placed his hands on the bars as he glared down at the female who had tried to kill him. His gaze however didn't stay long on her as another walked in behind the group and Harry's breath caught in his throat. He'd read about them in one of the many large tombs he'd been given, but Aurelius had said that they'd all been killed centuries ago, hunted to extinction by both the Covens and the Vampires. Harry remembered reading that it was the one and only time the two sides had ever worked together. Had the Covens forgotten their history so easily?

The creature's catlike eerie blue eyes, raised to look up at him and he smirked around the fangs that pinched his lower lip. Harry had seen detailed drawings of Prowlers, surrounded by carnage, their pearly skin stained red with blood and the markings that adorned their bodies in their bloodlust. This one was neatly dressed, in tailored black pants and a dark blue button down shirt. His long lightening white hair was tied back crisply, giving him a more Human appearance. Although the two images were very different, the Prowler wasn't any less intimidating or unrecognizable.

Harry's skin crawled and he was backing into the corner of his cage before he even realized he was doing it. He thought Voldemort was frightening and Aurelius could be downright scary when he was unhappy, but the creature in front of him was terrifying.

"Release him," the Prowler hissed and Harry was suddenly falling to the ground, as the bottom of the cage split, and dropped from underneath him with a clang. Harry just managed to land in a crouch, though he didn't attempt to stand as he watched the man stalk towards him. "What is your name, Childe," he asked in a whispery hollow sounding voice.

"Harry," he found himself answering before he'd even considered doing so, what was worse, he hadn't had any intention of it.

"And what Clan are you from, Harry?" he asked, circling him slowly and Harry followed his movement warily.

"Saleio," Harry answered and then bit his tongue hard, as he'd again not meant to answer.

"Aurelius' spawn, I thought so," the creature scoffed. "Stand up, boy."

Harry stood immediately and realized that the creature was controlling him somehow. He clenched his hand, if only to make sure that he was still able to make his own movements. He internally sighed in relief; he wasn't completely a puppet then. It must only be a strong compulsion.

"I suppose you are wondering what my name is," the Prowler said casually, still circling Harry. "You may call me Djaq. These are my children, my creation," he said waving to those standing around them. "Shifters, I call them. They can take many forms, but they prefer their own, even if they have to deal with fangs."

Some of the Shifters smirked at him; other's rolled their eyes at Djaq. The female who'd injured Harry simply stared at him as if she'd like to do nothing better than finish the job she'd started. Harry was beginning to wonder if the Coven was even a Coven anymore. He didn't know much about them, but from what little he'd read after he'd been attacked by the servant girl, no Covenant Slayer would ally themselves with a dark creature willingly, and especially not with something like Djaq, unless of course they'd broken their Covenant. But Harry somehow knew that it would take a considerable amount of magic to be able to do that, magic that could overcome blood.

Harry clenched his jaw and tightened his muscles as Djaq stopped in front of him and ran his sharp fingernail down the side of his face. "You are quite beautiful."

Harry flinched involuntarily as a nail drew blood and then Djaq lifted the finger to his lips and licked Harry's blood off. Briefly, Harry could see swirling red markings, similar to the ones he'd seen in the drawings come to life on Djaq's skin, but they disappeared almost as quickly as they'd come.

"Such exquisite blood too, powerful," Djaq whispered, savoring the taste. "It's a pity I'm going to take you apart. There's so many things you could be useful for. But first, we're going to figure out why you aren't dead. Strap him down," he ordered.

Harry immediately tried to get away, but the Shifters were as strong as they were fast. He struggle all the way though, and continued to struggle even after his robe was torn off him and he was securely strapped to the table. He finally went limp when he realized that his struggling wasn't helping anything. He glared away from Djaq as the man came to stand over him.

"It's amusing that we share similar disadvantages, and strengths, yet you Vampires are harmed by a simple rock, while I'm rather indestructible," Djaq said while running his hand through Harry's hair almost lovingly. "But what I want to know is why you don't share the same weakness as the rest of the Clans. Is it something the Masters have been working on, or is it simply something in your blood?" Djaq gripped Harry's hair sharply, making Harry look at him. "Don't worry. I'll be sure to let you know before I kill you."

"Not if I kill you first," Harry hissed, though his voice lacked any conviction, he sincerely didn't believe he was going to get out of this alive.

Djaq loosened his hold on Harry's hair and smoothed it down. He smiled at him. "Even if I let you out of these bonds, you wouldn't have the chance, you aren't fast enough." Djaq walked over to the cart and picked up a large syringe filled with swirling iridescent liquid. "Let's see how you do with a full dose of Dark Silver," he said simply and then injected it directly into the vein on Harry's arm.

Harry clenched his teeth as the poison rushed through his veins. It was so much worse than before and Harry found himself screaming and then straining and thrashing against his restraints. The pain was worse than anything the Cruciatus Curse could cause and he found himself actually wishing for that over this. The pain only got worse long before darkness overtook him.

...

When Harry had awoken again, he was back in the cage. The room was empty, but lighter than it had been before. The sun was up, he realized as he saw the skylights above him and the brightly shining sun that was filtering in through them. The sun gleamed off the metal table and cart that had been left behind and Harry could see that the table was stained red with blood, his blood.

Harry rolled over onto his stomach with a groan. He hadn't felt this… mortal since he was Human. For a moment, he almost thought he was, but then the familiar feeling of not having had blood in a while reminded him that he was very much still a Vampire, but apparently a Vampire immune to liquid Dark Silver. When he'd survived the first time, he'd pushed it off as a fluke, or maybe it hadn't fully gotten into his blood, but now it was a certainty. And he _almost_ wanted to know why as much as the Prowler did.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment and then pushed himself up into a sitting position. He leaned back against the bars and wondered for the second time what had been done to him while he was out. He felt drained and winded, but both those could be contributed to blood loss. He didn't think he was in a Blood Rage yet, but he wouldn't test that against a bunch of Humans. He knew for certain though that he had to find a way to escape, if only to alert the Clan of Djaq.

Harry looked around again. If he could get free of the cage, it wouldn't be too hard to simply go through a window, but getting out of the cage didn't seem that simple of a task. Thrashing the cage hadn't worked. But then again, he'd not thought the door was underneath him. Harry quickly looked for the seam. It was barely visible, but still there. He wasn't going to have much of an area to jump, but maybe it would be enough to break the lock.

Harry stood up as much as he was allowed and then with as much force as he could, he jumped, slamming his bare feet down over the seam. The cage rattled and swayed and Harry grabbed hold of the bars to steady himself. Holding onto the bars tightly, Harry suddenly had an idea of how to get more leverage. He stuck his hands through the bars and grabbed the outside of the top of the cage. He lifted himself up and then slammed his feet back down. The cage rattled and swayed again, but this time Harry didn't relent and slammed his feet down again with all his strength, and then suddenly he was falling.

Harry stumbled as his legs caved under him upon impact to the floor, but he was free. Harry briefly looked back up to the swaying cage and then he jumped back to his feet and sprinted towards the nearest set of windows. He was almost to them when something impacted with him. He tumbled backwards and then he was scrambling away from one very pissed off Prowler.

Djaq was on him in seconds, and had him pinned down bodily with his hands trapped on either side of his head. "I told you, you weren't fast enough," Djaq whispered into his ear. Harry struggled, but he wasn't strong enough by far. "Now why did you have to go and try and escape? And to think I was being nice to you yesterday. I could have let my Shifters have their fun first. Now I think I'm going to have to be mean. Tell me, Harry, have you been dominated yet?" Harry glared at the Prowler briefly before he looked away at the smirk that came to Djaq's lips. "I thought not."

Harry went limp in the creatures grasp and Djaq chuckled slightly. Harry felt Djaq's hands holding his loosen and he suddenly ripped them from the Prowler's grasp. He punched Djaq in the face as hard as he could and then scrambled away again. He made it to the wall before Djaq had him pinned against it.

"Now, that wasn't very nice," he hissed and brought his hand up to wrap around Harry's throat. "Tell me, Harry, do you get enjoyment from provoking me?"

"No," Harry gasped out when Djaq squeezed his throat hard. Djaq's hand loosened, but he didn't remove it.

"Then why do it? I honestly was going to spare you from being dominated before I killed you, but now I believe you want it."

"No," Harry whispered unsteadily. "I don't."

"Well, isn't that just too bad," Djaq whispered into his ear and then lighting fast, suck his teeth into Harry's neck.

Harry clenched his teeth hard to keep from screaming. He tried to fight against Djaq's hold as the Prowler's hands roamed over his body, but the more he fought the more he realized that he had nothing left to fight for.

...

Harry found himself strapped to the table again five days later. It was almost becoming routine now and he was beginning to wonder if Djaq was ever going to kill him. His muscles twitched every once in a while and he'd had a gnawing feeling in his stomach for days. His incisors were lengthened, permanently it seemed, and pinching his bottom lip, and everything he looked at had a red haze around it. He'd been on the edge of a Blood Rage for the last day, and all he could seem to think about was blood.

Harry found himself day dreaming up ways to kill Djaq. It was obvious Djaq hadn't found his answer yet by his growing agitation. He so wanted to kill him, in fact, he didn't think he'd ever wanted to kill someone more. He saw his fevered red tinted eyes roam around through his reflection off a metal canister on his left. He took in the Shifters and Humans alike. If he weren't restrained, he'd happily kill them all; drain every one of them dry without regret, starting with the Prowler.

He turned his head to look at the creature who was currently deliberating over something in a computer readout with a Human in a lab coat. He wondered what Djaq's blood would taste like. Would it be sweet like a Vampire's, but unsatisfying? Or would it be more? Would it be powerful? And what would it be like to take him, to use him as he'd been used? Harry suddenly laughed at the very idea. The Shifters and Humans all looked at him oddly, which only made Harry laugh harder.

Djaq came to stand over him with an amused look in his eyes, the Human stood behind him, looking at him curiously. "Why are you laughing, pet?" he inquired.

Harry stopped laughing abruptly as the scent from the Humans changed abruptly, or was it that they had all of a sudden become so much more enticing. He was completely losing his restraint on his Blood Rage, he realized. "I'm going to kill you all," he said quiet seriously and Djaq took a step back with uncertainty in his eyes as everything Harry saw bled crimson and he didn't even concentrate before every one of the Humans and Shifters were flying back away from him.

Harry felt magic crackling over his skin painfully. He'd not felt this much of a connection with his magic since before he'd been turned. He'd been able to do most everything he wanted, but he'd never felt as if it was really a part of him. Now it surrounded him, embraced him, and came to life without even his instruction.

The restraints snapped and Harry stood in a fluid motion. Djaq growled and took another step back, before moving in a blur at Harry. Harry barely reacted before he had the Prowler pinned beneath him. He lowered his lips to the other's ear. "I got faster," he hissed and tore Djaq's ear clear off with his teeth. Djaq howled in rage and swiped at Harry's face.

Harry hissed in pain, but took little notice of the blood dribbling down his face from the three ragged gashes, and he didn't let up his hold around Djaq's throat. "That wasn't very nice," Harry hissed and tightened his grip around the others throat. Djaq choked on his words, but Harry didn't care, he smirked. "And to think I was going to be nice, but it looks like now, I'm going to have to be mean," he said with mock sorrow and then snapped the Prowlers neck.

Harry blinked at how easy that was as Djaq went still beneath him. "We share so many similar disadvantages, and strengths, yet you Prowlers are killed by a simple broken neck, while I'm rather indestructible," Harry said with a small laugh and then looked up at the Humans and Shifters who were staring at him in shock. He smiled slightly and then threw himself at the nearest Shifter. What followed was a bloodbath.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	9. I Killed All of Them

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Nine – I Killed All of Them

Harry stood in the center of the warehouse, staring blankly at the carnage around him. It was as if he was frozen in time, he didn't breath, didn't blink, just stood there. He didn't want to comprehend what he was seeing, what he'd just done. He was covered in blood, very little of it his. There was still a strong taste of it in his mouth, and he was the only living thing left in the room. He'd destroyed them all, and he'd enjoyed doing it. And it was strange, but he felt like had done something like this before…

Harry suddenly fell to his knees as the shock started to wear off and time came back to him. He breathed out heavily and looked around himself. In that moment he decided that he was going to have to accept that this wasn't his doing, if only for his own sanity. They'd bled him near dry, starved him. It was their own fault. He had no control over himself. So he wasn't going to blame himself for it or at least he was going to try not to.

He didn't know how long he stayed where he was, but when he heard the distant sounds of sirens, he knew he was going to have to move. Harry glanced around himself again and realized that he was going to have to do something about this mess. The Muggle authorities couldn't see this. Fire, Harry decided as he looked around again and spotted a couple of small propane tanks along the walls. They weren't all that big, but the explosion would certainly be big enough and the non-Human bodies would hopefully disintegrate, but what about the Dark Silver?

Harry walked over to the cart and looked over the various instruments that had been used on him. He shivered slightly at the memory. There were several large phials of liquid Dark Silver still on the tray. Harry looked around and amazingly spotted his bloody and torn Clan robe not far away. He swiped it up and then put the remaining vials into the pockets and swung the robe around his shoulders. He didn't know if this was all of it, but he didn't have time to look for any more. Hopefully this was all they currently had melted down.

Harry glanced around to see if there was anything else he should take and then he looked down at Djaq's body. He wasn't sure if the Prowler's body would be destroyed like the others, this far away from the explosion. Without any remorse, he grabbed one of the Prowler's arms and dragged him over so he was practically on top of one of the propane canisters.

Before he turned to leave, he noticed a chain, just visible from under Djaq's shirt. He pulled hard on it, snapping the chain, and pulling out a pendant that was clearly made of Dark Silver. Without touching the pendant, he dropped it in his pocket too, and then turned on his heel and walked to the other side of the warehouse. He stopped over the body of the woman who had first tried to kill him and pulled her own sword from her gut. He didn't remember killing her with it, but knew he had. He unbuckled the sheath at her waist and slid the blade carefully into it and then walked to the door of the warehouse.

Harry slid open the metal door and blinked at the brightly setting sun that greeted his eyes. Now that he was outside he could see that the warehouse was in an industrial section of a large city, though he couldn't place what city. Harry shrugged and turned back. His eyes swept over the area once again and then he raised his hand and pointed it at the propane tanks. He concentrated, a bit harder than he thought he should have to, and sent a blasting curse at them and then quickly sped away before the large explosion could consume him as well.

He stopped just far enough away to watch. The fiery explosion consumed the warehouse and then three smaller buildings around it as they too exploded. He hadn't sensed any other Humans in the area, so was pretty sure no one was in those buildings, he hoped no one innocent was in those buildings. Harry looked away, he regretted that he had been forced to kill again, but he didn't regret that they were dead, not after what had been done to him, or what they had done to the Clans. He contemplated briefly as he turned to leave if anyone had escaped his slaughter. It was unlikely.

Harry looked out over the city and wondered for the first time how he was supposed to get back to Lel. He supposed he was going to have to find out where he was first. He knew he couldn't simply ask for directions looking as he did. In fact, it would probably be best that he wasn't seen at all until he could get cleaned up. Harry picked a direction and then sped off. He knew eventually he'd come across a water source.

...

Harry splashed cold water over his face again. The water still running off him was stained red. He debated just dunking his whole self into the small brook he'd come across, but didn't really fancy being caught doing so, or being completely soaked. He'd not mastered drying charms with his magic yet as there hadn't been need.

Harry stared at his reflection in the wavering bloody water that was lit only by the moonlight above him, which came from a near half-moon. His fingers traced three white scars that ran across his face. He barely remembered getting them before he'd killed Djaq. Like his Dark Silver wounds, they hadn't healed completely.

Harry splashed at the water and sat back on his heels. Just another reminder of what he'd gone through. He pulled his Clan robe over to him and swung it around his bare shoulders again and then he picked up the sword made of Dark Silver and stood. He was in a small forest not far from the city. On his way out, he'd seen a highway sign and discovered that he was just outside of Budapest, which meant he was at least on the continent. His best bet was to find his way back to Saleio Manor in Germany.

He wasn't exactly sure where the Manor was, but it would be a far sight easier to find than Lel. Harry's first stop, after making himself look at least somewhat presentable to the general public, was to find a map. It hadn't been too hard. He'd simply found a public transit hub that ran twenty-four hours a day and nicked a map from the stand. Being really fast did come in handy. He spent several minutes deciding on the best route and then started running.

It really didn't take him that long, a few hours, to get back into Germany. He'd simply followed a major highway. It took him another few hours to get into the area he assumed the Manor was in, and he'd been wandering the area for the last hour. He knew he was around the right place by the geography, but the Manor was rather obscured by the forest itself. What he wouldn't give to have Aurelius' wings right now… or a broom.

Harry sat down on a fallen tree and looked up to the sky through the canopy of leaves above him. The sun had come up not a half an hour before, though it was obscured by the heavy cloud cover. It was raining, as it seemed to do a lot around here. At least he was a Vampire and rather impervious to the elements, but he was completely soaked through and uncomfortable regardless. After all, he was only wearing a pair of torn cotton pants and his battered Clan robes. But at least he wasn't completely covered in blood anymore.

Harry sighed and then looked off to his left, out through the trees in front of him and then he blinked and let out a harsh laugh. The manor was sitting perfectly visible not fifty yards in front of him. Harry rolled his eyes heavenward. How the fates liked to toy with him. Harry stood back up and walked at a normal Human's pace towards the estate.

He wondered briefly if Aurelius was there as he crossed out of the line of trees and onto the wintered lawn. He didn't know if he wished for him to be or not. He wasn't quite ready to face him. Harry was almost to the large wrap around driveway at the front of the Manor when the front doors swung open and Vantesh, Alia and Santo came out, all armed.

"Non lo credo!" shouted Santo when he spotted him.

"Harry?" Alia asked and Vantesh just continued to stare at him.

"Surprise," Harry said simply as he continued walking until he was standing in front of the three Vampires. "You're never going to believe what I've been through."

"You look like shit!" Santo stated bluntly.

"Master said you were dead, Dark Silver poisoning," Vantesh finally managed to say.

He nodded. "Long story that," Harry said uncomfortably. "I take it Master's not here then."

"At Lel," Alia said, looking him over carefully.

Harry nodded again looking away. "Could one of you take me there, or get him? I have a lot he needs to know."

"You don't want to change or get cleaned up first or something?" Santo asked, looking him over more closely. "Is that blood? It's not all Human."

Harry shrugged. "No it's not, all Human that is, at least not most of it. I'd rather just be brought to Aurelius."

Alia nodded. "Yes, of course, Harry. I'll take you. It'll be just as fast, if not faster for us to go there as for him to come here."

"We will all go," Vantesh stated. "I want to know how you survived."

Harry stared at the Vampire warily. "I want to know too, so I'll let you figure it out. Just promise you won't do it the way they tried to."

Vantesh's eyes widen as he realized some of what Harry had been through over the last week, he simply nodded. "Of course," he said without hesitation.

"We should go," Santo said and Alia moved to take Harry's arm.

"Wait, I don't know if I can travel that way," Harry said, taking a step back.

"Why not?" asked Alia.

Harry dung into his pocket and pulled out one of the vials. The three Vampires all took several steps back. "I think it was all they had left. I didn't know how to destroy it, so brought it with me. It's not in my blood stream anymore, I don't think, but I don't know if it can travel that way at all.

Vantesh looked uncertain for a moment. "We will take the jet to Master," he finally said. "I don't want that stuff staying at the manor, and I think Master would agree."

Harry didn't think it any better off at a school, but agreed with Vantesh.

...

It only took them a couple of hours to get to the nearest city with an airport from the school, and then they'd taken a private car from there to Lel. Harry was impressed by the plane ride. He'd never traveled that way before. He remembered Hermione complaining once about the closeness of the seats, but Harry didn't really know why. The interior of the jet was open and the seats were like living room reclining chairs. Nicer even than anything the Dursley's had ever had. Maybe the bigger jets weren't like the Clan's.

The three other Vampires were amused by Harry's little kid excitement about air travel, especially as he'd spent most of his time with his face glued to the window, looking down at all the tiny houses they passed over. He'd never gotten height like this with his broom.

Harry was nervous as the car pulled up in front of the school. He suddenly realized that he'd just survived something that should have been impossible to survive, again. And what was worse, he'd failed in his mission to protect Terin, gotten captured, and he'd been dominated. He didn't know what his Master's reaction was going to be to that. Harry stepped out into the hot desert heat with the rest of the Vampires. He had the sword he'd taken grasped tightly in his hand. He'd barely thought to put it down since he'd taken it.

Santo placed sunglasses over his eyes and Alia chuckled slightly at the odd design of them, not to mention their neon blue color. Vantesh simply rolled his eyes. "Let's go face the Master," he said simply and the group started up the front slope to the doors. The other three Vampires looked almost perfect to Harry's current appearance. They'd tried to get him to at least change on the flight over, but he'd refused. He didn't know why, but he needed Aurelius to see him as he was.

Harry briefly glanced up at the noon sun before entering the palace. Just great, why did he always have to arrive during a meal? And he knew that the Hall was going to be full of students. The noon meal was as much a social gathering as it was a regular mealtime. Harry fell back slightly as the others walked into the Hall, but then steeled himself to the inevitable and walked in behind them. Many heads turned to the group, especially Vampires. It wasn't often that non-students arrived unexpected.

At first, it was obvious that they hadn't noticed Harry among them, but then they did and silence fell over the hall. Aurelius stood from his place and stared first at the three other Vampires and then Harry, his eyes widening significantly. Harry stared back as the other Masters and Priors stood as well.

Harry stepped to the front of the group. "Master," he said simply and then dropped to one knee with his head bowed, as much in respect, as in fear. The other three bowed slightly behind him, but straightened after a moment. Harry didn't move.

"Impossible," Prior Benjamin stated, from one side of Aurelius.

"Unbelievable," Master Donavan said from his other side.

Aurelius stepped around the table, but didn't come any closer. "You are alive, how?" he asked simply.

Harry rose slowly and pulled out the pendant he'd taken from Djaq by the broken chain. He walked forward, his bare feet slapping on the stone floor and tossed it on to the table and set the sword down next to it. The question of how he was alive, he didn't quite want to answer yet.

Aurelius stared at his face for a moment, taking in the scars and then looked down at the pendant. His hand reached to touch it before he quickly snatched it back. He looked back up at Harry with hard eyes. "What is this?" he demanded. He obviously understood the significance of it.

Harry bowed his head. "The Coven was working with a Prowler, Master. He called himself Djaq. He turned almost all of them into Shifters. He told me they were his own creation, his children," Harry explained and students gasped and started to whisper around him. "That was his pendant. He's dead now, they all are, I believe."

Aurelius stared at him. "You killed him," he stated and the Hall fell silent again in as much amazement as shock.

"All of them," Harry said regrettably, looking up at his Master. "He bled me near dry and I fell into a Blood Rage," he explained if only to exonerate himself to his own conscious.

The Vampires in the room looked at him in both sympathy and astonishment. A Blood Rage isn't something any Vampire ever wants to be subjected to and one has to be completely starved of blood to succumb to one.

"Master," Vantesh stepped forward. "You should be aware he brought the remains of the liquid Dark Silver back with him. We took the jet to get here."

Harry reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a phial. "I didn't know how to destroy it and didn't know if the explosion I caused to get rid of the bodies would be enough."

Aurelius and Donavan and the other Vampires on staff all took several steps away from the table as Harry held it out as if it weren't the most deadly poison to Vampires. Harry almost smirked at the uncertainty he saw in their eyes.

"How much did they have?" Prior Benjamin asked, taking the phial without worry as he was a Wizard, the only Wizard to ever gain a Prior standing and the only one on staff. He'd always held a soft spot for Harry, knowing that he could have been here even before becoming a Vampire.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know. Djaq used at least two, maybe three vials on me that I was aware of," Harry admitted feeling his skin crawl at the memory of the pain he'd suffered.

Benjamin's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the vial, but Harry caught it, knowing that only one drop could kill a Vampire if exposed to their skin. He put the vial back in his pocket with the others. Aurelius took a step towards him once it was hidden.

"He used the Dark Silver on you?" Aurelius questioned.

Harry bowed his head again. "Injected it into my veins," he answered.

Aurelius took a step back. "How are you alive?"

Harry looked up at him. "I don't know." Aurelius could only stare at him. "I'm sorry, Master," Harry whispered after a moment, bowing his head again. "I failed you and I allowed myself to be captured. I – he…"

Aurelius placed his hand on Harry's cheek. "He dominated you." Harry closed his eyes in shame and nodded. "Yet, you are alive and he is not." Harry opened his eyes and looked back up to his Master uncertainly. "I am proud of you, my Son."

...

Harry was most pleased to be clean and in new robes as he walked from his Master's suite back to the first year dorms. He'd yet to see Terin or his other friends as they'd not been at lunch and he'd been in Aurelius' rooms the remainder of the day. Vantesh must have taken at least a pint of blood from him before leaving with a securely wrapped vial of Dark Silver, determined to find out why Harry was immune. The rest, Prior Benjamin was destroying later that evening much to the relief of every Vampire in the school, Harry was sure.

Harry was relieved, yet confused, that his Master wasn't angry with him for being dominated. But he did make the decision that he'd never let it happen again. Aurelius couldn't have a weak Heir, and Harry was determined not to have any weaknesses, ever again. If he had to practice day and night, he would. He was going to be the best before the year was out. He would be perfect in everything, if he had to be. He would never let anything like had happened, happen again.

Harry stepped into the first year common room and the room became silent. Harry squared his shoulders and raised an eyebrow at the lot. They each looked away and then went back to what they had been doing. Harry smirked slightly at that, but knew they'd all be listening carefully.

Suddenly a small blur barreled him over and he found Medea sitting on him with a look of anger in her eyes. "Never die again," she ordered and smacked him.

Harry chuckled, having a feeling that he'd just been bitch slapped by the little Vampire. "Sorry, if it makes you feel any better, I hadn't any intention of it."

She glared at him for a moment and then stood up and held out her hand to help him up. Harry took it and got back to his feet. "Welcome back, Harry, we missed you," she said hugging him tightly around the waist.

"Thanks," he said, hugging her back and then he looked up when his other friends came over.

"Did you really survive Dark Silver poisoning?" Ohmann asked, intrigued.

Harry nodded, wincing again at the memory. He really had to stop doing that. "Yeah," he said.

"Did you really fight a Prowler?" Simon questioned. "I thought they were extinct. What did it look like? Anything like the drawings, did it have the markings?" he asked in quick succession.

"Whoa, Simon, give him a chance to organize his thoughts," Lorex said and then looked to Harry for answers just the same. Many of the other first years were looking at him again as well.

Harry walked over to one of the couches and sat down without answering. He didn't know how to describe the Prowler, how to describe how Djaq had made him feel just by looking at him, let alone what he'd done to him, what he'd made him do. Harry forced away a shiver of repulsion.

"Harry?" Medea asked sitting down next to him.

"Where's Terin," he asked instead of answering.

"She's with her Clan, she'll be back at the end of next week," Medea answered. "Are you all right?"

Harry nodded firmly. "Yeah," he said and then looked up to the others. "What were those questions again?" he asked. It was better he answer their questions now instead of having to recall it all again later, when later he'd know he'd want to forget.

"You don't have to answer them," Simon said quietly, looking ashamed for even asking.

"No, it's all right. He uh… he was terrifying. When I first woke up, I was in this cage hanging from a ceiling. They brought in these surgical instruments and then left. I figured they were trying to scare me and I wasn't about to play along, but they didn't need to leave them to intimidate me. When he walked in… Never have I been so afraid before, and I've faced a Basilisk and Dementors, I know fear. They released me and I couldn't even stand until he ordered me to. His compulsion was so strong that he could have told me to do just about anything and I would have done it."

"Did you ever try to escape?" A Vampire asked from across the room and Harry looked up to him.

"Once," Harry said simply, remembering it. "I almost made it, but I wasn't fast enough, he was so much faster, stronger," Harry looked away. "I didn't get a chance to try and escape again after that."

"How did you?" Lorex asked quietly.

Harry looked up to him. "I didn't," he said honestly. "He bled me near dry. For days I dealt with the hunger, on top of the pain from the Dark Silver. And then yesterday I started seeing red. I couldn't retract my fangs. I couldn't think about anything else but blood, and then the Humans got too close. I don't much remember what happened after I lost it. I remember snapping the Prowlers neck. I remember blood, so much blood. I remember there was screaming…" Harry closed his eyes and stopped himself from completely remembering.

The room was deathly silent as everyone stared at Harry. "You went ten days without succumbing to a Blood Rage," a shocked voice suddenly said from the doorway. Harry looked up to see Terin standing there looking slightly lost. "Father said you were alive, I came… I'm so sorry, Harry," she choked, hiding her face in her hands.

Harry was up and across the room in seconds. He pulled her hands from her face. "No, _I_ failed _you_. You have nothing to apologize for," he stated. "It was my mistakes, my ineptitude that caused this. You should be furious with me. Aurelius should be furious with me. And I'm down right shocked that no one is."

"But you destroyed the Coven, you found out they were working with a Prowler, you even killed the Prowler and brought back the Dark Silver. None of which all the best in the Clans could even come close to claiming, in fact most of them are d-dead," Terin said, stuttering over the last word. The others looked at her in sympathy. "The Elders are amazed," she stated after a moment. "I was there when Aurelius told them. They're actually impressed. And impressing the Elders is near impossible to do," she insisted.

Harry dropped Terin's hands and stepped away. "But I failed you first," he said firmly.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	10. Skipping Steps

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Ten – Skipping Steps

He danced and weaved among the seven other fighters. His speed and grace was challenged by none and he'd worked long brutal hours in secrecy to get where he was. He was determined to win and nothing would stop him. He wanted to go home, not to the Manor, to Hogwarts. He needed to be there for the friends he once had, even though he could never be what he once was. He knew that was impossible, forbidden, but he had to go back somehow. And that was his single focused thought as he disabled one fighter after another.

Harry had thrown himself into learning everything over the last months. He'd been determined to be the strongest, the fastest, and the most powerful. He'd wanted to be respected; he'd wanted to be feared. He'd learned how to fight. He'd learned magic that would normally kill any mortal to use. He remembered the satisfaction of gaining dominance over an older student for the first time, an older Vampire. He'd maintained an attitude of being the best and would achieve that status today, but his motivations for why had changed with the first dream, nightmare… _vision_.

The last of the fighters fled the ring before they could be harmed further and then clapping sounded throughout the Dueling Hall of Lel Academe. Harry looked up, his expression seemingly blank, and then he bowed and stepped out of the sparring ring. He stood ridged in his black and red Clan robes, his new swords now sheathed and hidden beneath their folds. His long black hair was pulled back away from his face, showing off the three white jagged scars that had still not faded.

"Well done Adept Potter. I must say, I am very impressed, and surprised. I did not expect you would best more than two fighters. We had an agreement, though, your request?" Prior Masse asked as he approached Harry, his brown tail flicking irritably behind him. He and Harry still didn't get along even though he had improved significantly in his classes.

Harry held back his smirk. Prior Masse hadn't believed that he'd be able to best all seven Adept level fighters when he'd challenged; not for any rank, but a request. He hadn't known Harry had been practicing these past months in secret, so had foolishly agreed to grant any request Harry had if he won, and Harry had counted on it. He didn't look at the Centaur Warlord as he spoke, keeping his expression as cool and indifferent as it had been for most of the last months in front of anyone other than his close friends.

"I have only one request, Prior Masse. I wish to challenge in a Runic Mage Duel for rank of Mage Prior," Harry announced, his head held high to show that he was determined in his request, and completely serious.

Muttering and some snickering went up throughout the Hall. A first year had never challenged for rank of Prior in either combat or magic. There were steps that were supposed to be followed. Prior was after all the top most ranking in magic and combat, and very few could achieve such a goal. Most were content to stay with rank of Master and leave the school with that. The power one had to wield just to win the challenge to gain the Mage Prior standing was near impossible for most and no one had seen Harry wield even close to that power.

Harry had only been an Apprentice in magic for a little under a month, he hadn't even challenged for the rank of Adept in magic yet. Every student there was well aware that his right hand rune sequence shouldn't be complete until he achieved the rank of Adept in magic. He should still have years of training ahead of him before he could even hope to win this challenge.

The Hall seemed to hold its breath in anticipation of the answer the Priors of Lel would give to such an overconfident and frankly foolish request. Many of the students looked at each other as Prior Masse stared coldly at Harry, their eyes all said the same thing; they all thought Harry Potter had reached an all-time high in his supercilious idea that he was going to be the best at all things. Even Harry's friends were looking at Harry with doubt in their eyes and they knew of Harry's practice in secret.

Finally, Prior Masse looked to the center dais where the other Priors and Masters sat. One by one, each of the Priors stared hard at Harry. Harry held his breath and his mental barriers steady as slowly the eight Priors all agreed with a brief nod of their heads. Harry then looked to Prior Masse. He needed his consent, it had to be unanimous among the Priors, or he wouldn't be allowed to challenge. Prior Masse inclined his head and Harry lightly let his breath out.

Prior Benjamin stood. "Who will accept Potter's challenge?" he asked the Priors with a light voice.

Silence rang through the Hall as Harry and the students waited to see which of the Mage Priors would step forwards. There were three, Harry knew almost for certain, that he could best, but the others he wasn't nearly as sure about. There was one, however, that he knew he would never win against, Aurelius. Donavan had made it quite clear when Harry had even brought up the idea, that Harry had no hope of defeating him, and that if he did accept the challenge, that he better pray he won, for no god in heaven would save him from what Aurelius would do to him.

Harry nearly swore when his Sire was indeed the one to finally step forward.

"Prior Aurelius accepts your challenge Adept Potter, this is your last chance to back down," Prior Masse announced, looking hard at Harry.

There was a glint of cruel amusement in the Prior's eyes at Harry's obvious predicament. If he went through with the challenge and lost, he could die. His Master would have the right to take his life for disgracing himself. If he backed out of the challenge, he'd be labeled a coward and his life at Lel would be unbearable, as the students would make it so.

Harry took in a deep breath and then mentally shook his head; he must be insane, because he was going through with this. Most everyone at Lel, had from day one, underestimated him, belittled him, treated him as if he was inadequate. It had only gotten worse after his capture by the Coven. At first, they had steered clear of him, but when he didn't show any significant signs of being more powerful, as his defeat of a Prowler suggested, they'd chocked it up to the Blood Rage, which indeed it had been. This was his chance to prove, once and for all, that he was much more then he appeared to be. With a cold glint returning to his eyes, he turned to his black winged Master.

"I, Adept Potter, challenge Prior Aurelius to a Runic Mage duel for rank of Mage Prior," he stated clearly.

The muttered conversation grew in volume through the Dueling Hall as Harry stepped back into the sparring ring, the only difference was this time Harry left his swords, new to him since his moon blades had been lost, and Clan robes outside of the ring. Harry stood shirtless to one side as Aurelius stepped into the ring; he too left his weapon and robes outside of the circle. This challenge would be strictly magic, and Harry had learned the hard way that when fighting with magic, it was wise to leave your robes behind. They could catch fire awfully quickly. Aurelius' black feathered wings flapped gently before being folded tightly against him as not to hinder him. Harry knew his Master was keeping his wings visible only to intimidate him and Harry was certainly intimidated.

A flash of blue encased the circle and almost immediately Aurelius summoned his runes. Harry dodged and ducked and weaved around the beams of light that his Master sent his way. He was not going to go easy on him, not that Harry ever expected him to.

Harry dodged again, spinning out of the way of the deadly runes intent on harming him. He wasn't foolish enough to think that he could keep this up forever, he was good, but not that good and that was proven when one of the beams slashed across his left bicep, leaving a scorched and bloody line.

Harry barely flinched at the pain. Pain of any kind had been rather dulled to him since his ordeal with the Dark Silver, there just wasn't anything that could match it. He clenched his right fist, releasing his runes, runes he shouldn't have for at least another two years. He'd spent weeks building them in his spare time and behind his teachers' backs, but this was the first he'd gotten to use them all together as a unit. Harry heard the gasps from the student population as his runes came to life and spun around him blocking the next set of attacks and even sent some of the beams of pure magic back at his Master, who effortless released the beams before they could reach him. He saw a bit of shock and pride in his Master's eyes as well, before he was forced to dodge against Aurelius' more aggressive attacks.

The problem with challenging any Mage Prior is that they have the ability to weave their runes with both hands, where even the Masters were limited to just the right hand. Harry was beginning to resent that fact as he ducked and dodged again before sending out his own attacks, which were absorbed by Aurelius' runes. Harry had thought dueling against Donavan was hard, but this was ridiculous.

Harry barricaded himself behind his runes, creating a thick shield, just after he was slashed across the back, leaving another chard and bloody line. Harry breathed heavily trying to catch his breath as he ignored the pain. He knew his shield wouldn't last forever, but he was already drenched in sweat from the exertion it took to hold his runes. Harry closed his eyes, already knowing he wasn't going to win.

He saw his old friends behind his closed eyes. He saw his old life that at times he missed desperately. He saw his old home, Hogwarts. He saw the future, the death, the destruction. He saw what would come to pass without him there to protect what once was his responsibility to protect, if only because of a prophecy. The fire and darkness that had consumed his dreams for the last few months…

Harry snapped open his eyes as he felt his shield collapse. He dove to the side and rolled to avoid getting hit and brought his runes up again and concentrated as he wove them with his right hand. Terin had told him to never do this during his duels when he'd shown her, as it took too much concentration and if even one apposing rune got through, the magical backlash could possibly kill him. But he couldn't think of anything else.

The room took on a silver red tint and then a white glow and he knew his eyes were flashing the same colors as his runes swirled around him swiftly, getting closer and closer to his body until it looked like he was glowing and each beam that was shot at him was deflected mere millimeters from his body. Harry was prepared to release his runes then, but Aurelius wasn't giving him an opening to do so and it was taking all of his concentration to deflect each rune. Harry started to shake with the effort when he felt his magic come truly alive for the first time since his capture and he decided to use it.

Runes suddenly appeared all over his skin in deep red glowing gashes, even as his woven runes took on a black glow. A wind blew through his hair as magic seemed to seep out from his body as if it were blood flowing from his pores and Harry nearly lost himself in the power he felt crackling over his skin, before he forced his concentration back to the duel.

Harry threw his right hand out to his side and his runes ripped away from him, taking the ones covering his skin. The runes exploded outward in all directions. Aurelius tried to dodge away, but there wasn't anywhere for him to go and he was forced to step out of the ring to avoid death as his own shield collapsed. The dueling rings' shields took the brunt of the raw magic and absorbed it, while the floor and ceiling became heavily pockmarked as if a bomb had gone off.

Harry dropped to one knee, breathing heavily and looking at his Master on the other side of the shield in disbelief. He'd won, he'd actually won. Aurelius had backed down. His runes finally came back to him and disappeared into the mark on the underside of his wrist. There was nothing but silence for all of a second and then disbelieving shouts and clapping rang throughout the Hall and the shield was dropped around the ring. His friends were the forerunners of the praise and even little Ohmann was jumping up and down and shouting about how unbelievable that was.

"Well done, my Son," Aurelius said as he too started to clap, a proud and amazed glint in his eyes.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and then fluidly pushed himself to his feet, standing gracefully even in his fatigue, and bowed. The cheering only grew from there and for the first time in almost six months, Harry smiled a true smile. It looked as if things were starting to go his way.

...

"Harry Potter, Prior Harry Potter de Saleio, Harry James Potter… The Boy Who Fucking Lived…" Harry thought aloud to himself the best way for him to sign the letter that he intended to send to one Albus Dumbledore. He tossed his quill aside and breathed out heavily. He'd just leave it blank. The Headmaster would probably know it was from him anyway, and it really wouldn't be a good idea to sign it, especially if it were somehow intercepted.

He felt that after a year, he owed it to the old wizard, well maybe not him, but certainly his friends and the other professors, an explanation of where he had been and why he had disappeared in the first place as he was planning on finding a way to go back, not that this letter said any of that. His Master had yet to approve of him sending of such a letter, but though he knew he would be punished, he couldn't delay it any longer.

Somehow, with or without Aurelius' permission he had to go back to Hogwarts. If not to help them, to warn them, at the very least. His letter held very little in the way of explanations. It let Dumbledore know he was alive and to expect dark things on the horizon, but little else. He wouldn't betray his Clan outright after all, they were his family now and he cared more for them than his old life. His damn conscience was just getting the better of him, he didn't need his old life, or so he kept telling himself, he just wanted it to stay safe.

Harry thought back to his last months at Lel, how much he'd changed, how much he'd embraced who he now was. But as much as he'd changed, as much as he'd accepted his life, cherished it even, he couldn't forget his life before. Even his friends at Lel hadn't been able to make him forget his friends at Hogwarts. Harry thought about Hogwarts for a moment. Silly little Hogwarts, it was so insignificant compared to Lel and all he'd learned there, yet it had its own charms.

The last months at Lel had been hard. Lel was a fierce school, it was designed to weed out the weaker of the species and Harry had certainly learned the hard way, several time, that if you weren't the best, you were picked on the worst. The school wasn't meant to teach children, it was meant to train warriors. He understood that now.

It was why it was elite, even in the eyes of the Wizarding World. He was sure many Death Eater parents would just love if their children were accepted into its walls, but it would never happen and they knew it. Lel was meant for the truly powerful after all. Harry had made friends and acquaintanceships with Vampires, Werewolves, Elves, Goblins, Centaurs, Veela, and many other sentient magical creatures, all who weren't accepted by Wizarding society. There were even a very few really powerful Witches and Wizards that he'd met at Lel, but they weren't really part of the Wizarding World anymore, they were now Mages as they learned to harness their magic in a completely different way.

But Harry had realized quickly that most mortals didn't survive more than the first couple months of school. The mortality rate at Lel for all creatures was remarkably high, especially for first year students. But there were no real prejudices, no one may be equal, but it wasn't because of what you were, it was because of how hard you worked for your status.

Being a student for the last year at Lel had sometimes made Harry miss the calm childish atmosphere of Hogwarts. But though he missed his friends and everything was a competition at Lel, and true friends were very hard to come by, he overly didn't miss the Wizarding World at all. He certainly didn't miss the bigotry.

Harry wonder what his life would be like right now, had he not been turned by Aurelius. All the problems he would have faced with Voldemort, the Ministry, and all the knowledge he would be lacking. He suddenly realized that he probably wouldn't have been bitten, had he not been there, at the Burrow that night. He'd thought about this hundreds of times, blamed himself for losing his control over his magic even though it had been an accident. Had he not left the Dursley's in a blind panic after the altercation with his uncle, or had he not retaliated against him at all, he never would have been turned that night. He would have gone back to school the next morning and Aurelius wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the situation.

For the first time since waking up in the then thought lavish room, the room he was currently sitting in, he counted his rash actions of that night as a blessing and not a curse. He still felt guilty for killing his uncle, probably always would for as long as he lived, but now he couldn't consider it among the truly terrible things he'd done in his life. He no longer regretted it as he once did.

Harry was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by a light rap on his door. He hurriedly scrambled to hide the letter and focused on reinforcing his mental shields, a rather easy feat as a Vampire. "Enter," he said quietly, picking up a nearby book and casually flipping through it.

The door opened and his Master walked in. He was wearing what he usually wore when at the Manor, white. Today it was loose pants and a formfitting top, laced up the back so he could have his sleek black wings exposed.

Aurelius casually picked up one of Harry's schoolbooks and started flipping through it. "You were supposed to meet Terinnia an hour ago. She is waiting for you in the Entrance Hall," his Master said unconcernedly.

Harry glanced at his clock and then swore in Parseltongue and leapt up from his desk. He grabbed a few books, including the one in Aurelius' hands and a stack of papers, along with the letter, and stuffed them into a bag. "Aurelius, why didn't tell me it was past two?"

"Is it my responsibility to make sure you are on time for your dates?" Aurelius asked dryly. "And please be sure to call me Master in front of Terinnia, it would not due to be seen being disrespectful to your Sire in front of another's Clan member, especially the Danwin Clan."

Harry raised an eyebrow and smirked. "When everyone starts calling you Lord, then I will start calling you Master again. And it's not a date, it's sparring practice," Harry said cheekily. After the challenge, Aurelius had shocked Harry and given him permission to call him by his first name, so long as no one else was around.

"Where I come from, sparring practice is a date, and the bloody sex afterwards is not too bad either."

Harry rolled his eyes. The two things Vampires seemed to think most about, sex and blood. He really wasn't sure which was thought about more, but with Aurelius, he was certain both were thought about equally. His Master had a saying, "Seek pleasure wherever it can be found." Harry chuckled silently to himself. He rather wondered if Aurelius was rubbing off on him. His Master wasn't monogamous by any stretch of the imagination. He had several playthings, both men and women. He wasn't a picky man. And Harry found that he was beginning to follow in his footsteps.

"Sorry, I am not interested in dominating Terin. And I am not calling you Master," Harry added, just to see Aurelius' eye twitch in annoyance, before he over exaggeratedly bowed and swept out of the room.

Terin was waiting, impatiently tapping her sneakered foot, as Harry walked into the entrance hall. She stood up from the bench she had been sitting on and tossed her golden blond hair over her shoulder before crossing her arms over her chest as she growled lightly, just for effect, Harry was sure.

"I'm sorry, Terin, forgive me?" Harry hung his head like a scolded puppy, giving her large puppy dog eyes.

Terin almost giggled at his expression, but she caught herself. "Well that depends, what could have been so important that it would distract you so long from me?" she asked loftily.

Harry scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, "A new book on blood magic."

Terin rolled her hazel eyes and then smacked him upside the head. Harry grabbed his head as if he'd been mortally wounded and fell to the floor, playing dead. Terin did laugh then. Another deep chuckle came from the doorway and Harry scrambled back to his feet as Terin bowed.

"Master Aurelius," she greeted. Harry too bowed. He may joke in private with Aurelius, but in front of others, he always showed respect.

"Apprentice Terinnia, Harry," he nodded to the two and they relaxed. "Harry, please be back before noon tomorrow, we are meeting the council."

Harry raised both eyebrows in surprise, but didn't question his Master. "Yes, Master," he answered. Aurelius then left the two, smirking at Harry slightly as he walked past them. Harry fought not to roll his eyes at his Sire's obvious thoughts.

As soon as he was gone, Terin turned to Harry. "The council, wow, you must have done something to please him for Prior Aurelius to take you with him. Or they could be interested because you made Mage Prior and are not even an Adept in magic yet."

Harry shrugged. It was unusual and he did have to wonder why. He'd thought that the Elders had forgotten about him, and his amazing single-handed decimation of the Coven, so why were they interested in him now? Harry was interrupted from his musings by Terin pulling him out the door and into the afternoon drizzle, which was common for Germany in early September, oh wait; it was common for the Black Forest region in general. It didn't take long for Harry and Terin to get to their training grounds, about five miles outside of the extensive Saleio estates, hidden in the high hills of the Black Forest. It was a large warded clearing in the woods that held a small house, enlarged on the inside.

The house had rooms for brewing potions and warded rooms for spell casting, and the entire house was much like the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, with the exception that it could get so much more. Like tomes from the Vampire Library in Cairo and every Wizarding book there was out there, restricted or not. Of course, there was a down side, anything generated by the house, could not be removed from it, so they had to bring in their own supplies.

Terin smiled as they reached the road the house was on, and drove up the drive, not long after. They both got out of Terin's BMW and walked up to the house. Harry magically unlocked the door, grinning when he found the house empty for a change. The Saleio Clan members were allowed to come and go at will, and the house was often occupied by other members.

"I have been looking forward to this since school let out," Terin said, entering the house ahead of Harry.

"What? The beating the crap out of me or as Master Aurelius always tells me, the bloody sex afterwards," Harry said with amusement in his voice, mimicking his Master's light accent.

Terin smirked and then smacked him on the back of his head. "The beating the crap out of you of course," she laughed while Harry rubbed the back of his abused head.

...

Harry and Terin spent several hours sparring against each other and animated dummies, supplied to them by the house. After that, they moved to the houses Library to get their "summer" schoolwork for Lel completed. Both Harry and Terin were matched and in most of the same classes so were able to work together without hindering each other, unlike his other friends who were spread out behind them, going at their own pace.

There was one thing Harry liked about Lel, the schedule for classes. For each class, first year through sixth, which comprised of a range of age groups in every year, they had different starting times and ending times. Second years, Harry and Terin's class for the next year, would not start again until November first. Their First year class had ended in the middle of August, so technically they were on their summer holiday, minus the summer part. Having the classes split up in this way minimized many of the first years getting picked off by the older more experienced and more powerful students. But of course schedules over lapped occasionally and Harry's and Terin's first year class had classes with not only one upper year class, but three. The worst known was five upper year classes against a first year class, but that didn't often happen. Harry's and Terin's class had it pretty rough as it was though.

It was nearing midnight when Harry declared he was going hunting. Terin agreed and suggested the local town, but Harry declined, and insisted on going alone. Terin shrugged and went on her own way, agreeing to meet Harry before eight o' clock the next morning and giving him a warning not to get into trouble.

Harry laughed and responded with his near trademark response, "Me, trouble? Not a chance."

Harry went on his way. He'd been planning this outing for a while. There was a small Wizarding village not twenty miles away from them, and that was Harry's destination. He wasn't concerned about being recognized by the Wizarding population, he had changed much since the previous year. He could probably walk by his old friends on the street and they wouldn't ever recognize him. The only thing about Harry that still made him visible as Harry Potter was his eyes. They were just as vivid green as they had always been, and Harry was glad of that, as they were the only thing that reminded him daily of who he used to be, where he had come from, and now who he truly was.

Harry walked calmly and confidently through the town. Most shops and stores were closed for the night, but there were still a few things open, mostly the pubs and taverns. However, there was only one place Harry was heading, at least for now. He slipped out the letter he had been working on earlier, this time it was finished and sealed. He walked into the dimly lit owl post office, one of the few places open all night.

"Kann ich Ihnen helfen?" asked the clerk warily in German.

That was one thing that Harry hated about being a Vampire, he couldn't hide what he was from anyone born with magic. If his abnormally pale and perfect complexion wasn't a dead giveaway, the slightly elongated incisors certainly were. It was one of the reasons he'd come here at night, the clerk and anyone who saw him would think him a typical night-walking Vampire. Harry ignored the clerk's nervousness and pointed to the owls. "I need the swiftest owl you have. This must reach Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by morning." Harry handed over the letter addressed to Dumbledore, by sliding it across the counter. With it, he slid five gold galleons he'd managed to acquire. "Für Ihre diskretion," he said coldly.

Harry was well aware that it was only two sickles to send a letter, but he also had to make sure no one knew about his activities. He shuddered to think what Aurelius would do to him if he knew Harry was going behind his back. He already knew it wouldn't be pleasant.

The clerk nodded in understanding and took both the galleons and the letter. He sent the letter off with a fierce looking horned owl. Harry watched the owl disappear out an open window and then he turned and swept out of the shop, with not so much as a thank you.

Outside he scanned the street with his eyes long enough to spot a lone man walking down the street quickly. Harry waited until he was closer to him and then he stepped out in front of him. He turned on his full hypnotic charm and within a few seconds, the Wizard was at his mercy. Harry led him into a deserted alley and pushed him gently against the wall.

He felt his fangs lengthen to full size and his ears picked up the strong steady beating of the man's heart. Leaning over him, he tilted his head slightly and then sunk his teeth into his neck. The man gasped and then moaned in pleasure at the same time Harry did. It was difficult for him to stop, his blood was so much more intoxicating than a Muggles, but he knew he had to or he'd end up killing the man or worse, turning him. After a few seconds, he licked his tongue over the wound he'd created as he'd pulled out his fangs. He licked his lips and pulled away from the Wizard. There'd be nothing more than a bruise on his neck come morning and he wouldn't remember him.

"Danke," Harry whispered, kissing him gently on the lips and then he left the alley and the dazed Wizard behind. He hadn't had his fill for the night yet, but he wouldn't feed again in this town. Witches and Wizards were far more perceptive than Muggles, and too many feedings in a Wizarding town, and people started to take notice. He wouldn't want to attract any Aurors, or worse, Covenant Slayers; they had enough problems with the Muggle version of them.

On the outskirts of the town, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the training house. A gust of wind picked up and Harry disappeared from the town and reappeared outside of the house through a cloud of black. It had taken him weeks to master Vanishing, but he was so glad he'd spent the time and energy on it.

Harry was just about to enter when he felt a presence behind him and then before he could turn around, he found his front pinned against the wall with heavy breathing chilling the back of his neck.

"Back already, Terin?" Harry whispered calmly. With as much energy as Terin had built up throughout the day, Harry was surprised she hadn't done this earlier.

"I've got too much energy," she admitted silkily. "And with the feeding, now I'm restless," she hissed into his ear.

"Well it seems to me we have a decision to make," Harry said, not hiding the huskiness in his voice. "We can either beat the crap out of each other and wear ourselves out with training again or…" Harry didn't get a chance to finish as he was suddenly spun around and his back was roughly pushed up against the front wall of the house. Terin captured his lips in a heated, passionate, needy kiss. She broke the kiss after nearly a minute and Harry finished his sentence as if he hadn't been interrupted. "…we could tire ourselves out with sex; I prefer this choice too." Harry smirked and grabbed Terin around the back of her neck and brought their lips together again.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	11. A Turning Point

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Eleven – A Turning Point 

This was not the first time Harry had awoken with his limbs tangled with Terin's the morning after a training session. It was actually more common than not. They were not in love, but they satisfied each other's needs in the present and it wasn't much spoken about afterwards except for the occasional tease. They wouldn't escalate their relationship further than the friendship they had, they both knew Terin wasn't over the loss of her mate, and Harry wasn't by far ready to commit to any one person.

The alarm Harry had magically set started to beep, reminding him that he was going to be late getting back to the Manor if he stayed much longer. He waved his hand in the air, silencing his alarm. Terin shifted in her sleep and Harry disentangled himself from her and the bed sheets. "Sorry Teri, I've got to go, or I am going to be late," Harry whispered and kissed her forehead lightly. "I will see you again in a few days?"

Terin hummed in agreement and then settled back into sleep as Harry slipped out of the room, retrieving his scattered clothes and redressing as he went. Harry straightened his clothes as he stepped out into the bright morning sunlight. He shielded his eyes and fumbled for his sunglasses. Even though day-wanders preferred the sunlight, it still burned his eyes first thing in the morning. Vampire or not, he'd never be a morning person.

Harry walked out of the warded clearing and concentrated on Saleio Manor. He disappeared through a cloud of black and without sound, reappeared in his bedchamber. Harry walked to the right of his four-poster bed, pulled open a door, and walked into his personal bathroom. He was happy to see that the large hot-tub sized bath was full of steaming water and he quickly stripped and slid in, allowing himself to slip beneath the water's surface for a couple of minutes. After about ten minutes of allowing himself to just sit and relax in the water's warmth, he quickly washed and then reluctantly retreated from the tub.

He dried himself and walked naked back into his bedroom where he found clothes laid out on his bed for him. He pulled on the pressed pair of black trousers and then towel dried his hair before he pulled on the silky white shirt left out for him along with his Clan robes, which rarely got any use when he was at the Manor, except for special occasions. Harry assumed seeing the Elder Council of the Vampires was more than enough of a special occasion.

Harry had just pulled his red and black robes on, which now had a white streak for his Mage Prior ranking on it, when a knock came at his bedroom door. "Enter," said Harry and the door opened and Lot, Harry's personal servant, came into the room. Harry looked up and nodded his permission for the older man to speak.

"Master Aurelius asks you meet him in the Entry Hall in five minutes, young Master," Lot said with submissiveness, not looking at Harry's face at all.

Harry nodded coolly and motioned with his hand that he could go about his business. It had taken Harry several lessons, one very painful to himself, to start treating the servants as they should be treated. It had been hard for him because he'd been in their situation before. Growing up he was nothing more than a House Elf to his aunt, uncle, and cousin and now he had to treat the servants around him how he had been treated as a child. Harry hadn't seen it as right, but he accepted it, just as he did most things now, because he was their Master in their eyes and because Aurelius commanded it.

Harry slipped on his socks and shoes and then left through the halls of the Manor, which were unusually full of activity this morning as servants rushed from one room to another. They parted on either side of the hall as Harry walked, with his robes billowing, down through the corridors. Harry was used to this, but sometimes, like now, it still bothered him and Harry glared coldly at them as he passed to keep himself from demanding they treat him no different from any of them.

At just the five-minute mark, Harry swept into the hall, expecting only his Master there and immediately and instinctively dropped to one knee in submission at who was standing there. He hadn't known the council was meeting at the Manor and he dearly wished Aurelius had shared that information with him.

"Arise Childe," Aurelius commanded.

Harry rose, but waited for his Master's nod before he walked towards the fifteen ancient and most powerful Vampires on Earth. Harry's instinct was to cower as they turned their eyes on him, but he quelled the impulse and brought forth his cold-eyed exterior that he used while at school, and stood straight and ridged before them.

"Master's, my son and Heir, Prior Harry de Saleio," Aurelius introduced him and Harry glanced briefly at his Master. He'd never been introduced that way. It was always Adept Potter, or now Prior Potter. "He is the youngest to ever achieve the rank of Mage Prior in all of Lel Academe history," he boasted. The other Master's looked at Harry with interest; some even had impressed glints in their eyes.

"Tell me Childe." One of the few women on the council stepped forward. She had long blond, almost white hair, which fell straight down her back, and eyes of an unusual amethyst color. By the emerald gown she wore, and the silver and red pendant that sat at the base of her neck, Harry deduced she was the Elder of the Azathose Clan, one of the oldest born Clans and the woman who had turned Medea. "What is your year at the Academe de Lel?" she asked.

Harry glanced at his Master before answering. "I am going into my second year."

"You are a first year," another whispered in amazement, this one a male with wings much like Aurelius', but of a slate grey color. Harry didn't recognize the Clan's symbol or colors, but he hadn't yet memorized all of the Clan's; only the most important.

"Have you been dominated?" Another of the Master's asked.

Surely he knew that, all of Lel knew that and Harry had assumed the Elders knew as well. Harry bowed his head. "Only once, Master, but never since and never again," he answered. At Aurelius' light growl, he knew he should have left it at never since. But Harry showed his defiance by looking up at the Clan leaders challengingly.

Many of the Elders narrowed their eyes at him, but a few smirked and looked at him with a glint in their eyes that made Harry uneasy. Aurelius clamped a hand on Harry's shoulder painfully. "You will wait here, my son," he said neutrally, but Harry understood it as the order it was, and then the Council left the entry hall and entered the ballroom, closing the doors behind them.

Harry looked at the closed doors for a while, wondering why he was required to stay where he was and what this meeting of the Clan leaders was all about. He tried to listen from where he stood, but it was obvious they'd erected privacy wards.

After a time, he began to grow bored and started to pace, never going too far from his original spot in the entryway. He was very much curious. Had always been so. Being a Vampire had changed that little, so this waiting behind closed doors was near torturous for him. He saw some of the servants go up the small staircase that led to the hallway that overlooked the ballroom and was tempted to go eavesdrop with them, when the doors suddenly opened.

Harry stood ridged as his Master swept out. "Come," he said simply and Harry followed without hesitation, very much interested about what this was all about. Aurelius steered him to a spot in the middle of the ballroom where the Elders were standing in a circle and then he pushed him to his knees.

Harry quickly grew alert as he noticed the red ritual circle that surrounded him, and he became even more alarmed when Aurelius practically tore off his robes and shirt, leaving his torso bare and exposed. Harry wanted to ask what was going on, what he'd done, but he kept his mouth shut and clamped down on his fear even as one of the Elders stepped forward with a large Athame.

Harry closed his eyes as the Elder stepped into the circle with him, certain that this was going to be his last moment alive, and they hadn't even told him what he'd done. Harry swallowed a startled scream as the ritual dagger tore into first his right shoulder blade, and then his left, and then he felt the hot steel carve a rune into his back between his shoulder blades. He was kept from recoiling away, only by the hand clamped down on his shoulder. He could feel the blood running freely down from his burning wounds, and he wondered briefly if the blade was made out of Dark Silver.

Harry opened his eyes as he heard the Elder leave the circle and shakily he looked up to see his Master standing in front of him. Aurelius held out his wrist to Harry. "Drink my son." Harry looked at Aurelius in confusion and pain. It was forbidden to drink from an Elder Vampire except for the turning. It was one of the first rules Aurelius had drilled into him. "Drink, Harry, and the pain will be gone," Aurelius said almost gently.

Harry shakily brought his hands up to cradle his Master's wrist, and then looking up at Aurelius' eyes, he brought his mouth forward and his fangs lengthened instinctively. He hesitated, but then bit into Aurelius' wrist. The taste of Aurelius' blood was intoxicating, like nothing he'd ever tasted before, and Harry found himself drawing on more and more of it. His eyes widened as it flowed into him. He could feel it rushing through his veins.

"Stop, that is enough," Aurelius commanded, and when Harry didn't stop, he tore his arm away and then moved from the circle. Harry was tempted to follow to get more of the delightful blood, but he suddenly had no strength to stand.

Harry knew something was different, wrong, as the pain didn't lesson but suddenly tripled. Harry clenched his still bloody teeth and hunched over, so his hands were supporting him on the stone floor. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath came in gasps. Harry's nails dug into the stone and he clamped down on a cry as his back felt like it was tearing open. A soft chanting came into his ears. It was a language he'd never heard, but with each word the pain grew more and more until all Harry wanted to do was die just to make it stop. It was worse than the Dark Silver poisoning he'd suffered and he'd never thought anything could be worse than that.

Just as Harry thought he was going to collapse or pass out, the pain suddenly vanished. Harry barely had time to take in a breath when a scream was retched from his lungs as something tore through the skin on his back. Harry arched from the pain and then collapsed onto his stomach.

Aurelius knelt down beside Harry and lifted him back to his knees. He looked directly into Harry's green eyes. "Now you are truly my son," he said with a smile, as he cupped Harry's cheek.

Harry leaned into the touch as his strength slowly started to return to him and that was when he felt and saw them. Wings, his Master had given him wings!

...

Harry flew around the Manor, enjoying the wind as it blew through his deep silver, almost black wings, and worked to sooth all of his muscles after his long day of sparring, or rather being thrashed by Terin. It had been a month since his Master and the council had performed the ritual on him that made him Aurelius' son in everything, including blood.

Harry was honored that Aurelius trusted him enough to make him the Heir of the Saleio Clan. He was amazed that he'd chosen him out of all his blood brothers and sisters, and grateful that he'd been made into Aurelius' true son, but Harry still couldn't think of his Master as his true father. He'd never let it show around Aurelius, but James Potter was his father and nothing would ever change that; not being turned into a Vampire and certainly not a blood ritual. Frankly, Harry resented Aurelius for assuming that he would ever want to be his son, but like his turning, he couldn't change it, only accept it.

Harry saw Terin wave to him from the ground and he angled himself in a lazy decent that brought him to land gracefully in front of Terin. He'd not always been able to land so gracefully, it had taken him weeks to get to the point where he stopped falling on his face every time. He'd even misdirected himself once and landed in a tree. Aurelius had laughed for hours about that. It only drove Harry to learn quicker how to use his wings to his advantage.

"Harry, Master Aurelius wants to see you," Terin said as Harry folded his wings tightly against his back, not bothering to hide them as he did when he hunted in populated areas. "He is in the library."

Harry rolled his eyes with a small frown. "I wonder what he wants now," he muttered.

It seemed that every time Harry turned around his Sire needed for him to do something, learn something new; meet with council delegates or Clan leaders. Aurelius was determined to turn Harry into the next Lord of the Saleio Clan. He'd pretty much be in charge of the Clan when the council slept in fifty years as they did every three hundred years. And it wasn't just the enclave in Germany he'd be in charge of, but all of the Clan, all of the Saleio enclaves all over the world. Terin was being conditioned for the same thing by her father, but she'd known her role all her life and was quite used to it by now.

Terin shook her head and shrugged. "I'm not sure, but he sounded a bit annoyed, so best not dally."

Harry rolled his eyes again, but looked to the sky just in case. Not a cloud in the sky yet, that left him a little bit more at ease. "You best get back to your Clan just in case. I don't want him taking whatever his current problem is out on you."

Terin hugged Harry briefly and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't upset him again," she whispered into his ear before she stepped back and disappeared. Harry sighed and walked back towards the Manor that had hidden his Clan for centuries.

He found Aurelius just where Terin had said he'd be. His Master was reading from an old tome and didn't look up as Harry stepped into the library. Harry remained silent as he stood, waiting for Aurelius to acknowledge him. He was just growing impatient when Aurelius spoke.

"You have read the history of the Clans," he said quietly, not looking from his book, which Harry realized was the Clan's self-updating Compendium. He'd been forced to memorize the history when he'd been made a member of the Clan; he'd only just recently finished with it, it was rather long and dry.

"Yes, Father, you know I have," Harry answered honestly, not knowing where he was going with this.

"You know why we fled the Wizarding World," he said with an equally quiet voice, still not looking up at Harry.

"Yes, Father, the Wizards attempted to destroy our people. They thought us unnatural, monsters."

Aurelius nodded and then slowly looked up at Harry. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?" he asked coolly.

Harry's brow furrowed. "No, Father," he answered honestly, looking back into Aurelius' eyes. There wasn't anything he could think of that was in need of being told.

"Really," Aurelius said, as he glanced from Harry to the desk.

Harry followed Aurelius' cool gaze to see an envelope sitting on the masterfully carved wooden desk; a parchment envelope. Harry stopped breathing momentarily as he took in the green ink lettering, clearly addressed to him. Harry didn't move to pick it up; he looked back at his Master instead, making sure his expression changed none.

"Still nothing you wish to tell me?" Aurelius asked coldly as he stood from his seat.

Harry stared back at Aurelius as his Master walked towards him. "Nothing, Father," Harry answered, not looking away from Aurelius' cold glare as he lied to him.

"Do not lie to me!" shouted Aurelius as he struck out at him with the back of his hand. The force of the blow whipped Harry's head to the side and he tasted blood on his lips. Harry licked the blood from his lips as he turned his head back to glare at Aurelius unemotionally. "You wrote to Albus Dumbledore," he stated, "When?"

A cruel smile came to Harry's lips. "Before you made me your son, _Father_," Harry sneered coldly. He didn't know why he said it like that, but he regretted it the moment he did, and not because of Aurelius' reprisal.

Aurelius struck Harry again, this time harder and the force sent Harry to his knees. "What did you say to him?" demanded Aurelius with a deep growl in his voice.

Harry looked up to his Master, feeling a bit of fear as Aurelius' eyes glowed with his anger. Harry saw no reason to lie. It wasn't as if he'd ever be able to go back anyway, and lies would only get him more punishment. "A warning of the future, Father, and I let him know I was alive. I did not know he would be able to find me with an owl."

Aurelius raised his hand as if to strike Harry again and Harry flinched away, but then he lowered it and picked the letter up from the desk instead. A rune appeared in the middle of the letter and then the letter disintegrated.

"You are lucky the owl came upon me first. A tracking charm would have been activated the moment you opened the letter. You know what the penalty would be if the Wizards were to find you. I would not be able to save you from that!" Aurelius snarled.

Harry coward back at the force of power Aurelius' forced down on him and looked at the floor in submission. "I am sorry Father, please; I couldn't ignore my conscious any longer. The visions have been relentless, they were once my family; I could not see that happen to them!"

Aurelius lifted Harry's chin and looked into his eyes, which were filling with tears unbidden. "You will not contact them again. Swear to me you will not contact them again!" Aurelius demanded.

"No, Father, I will not contact them again. I swear I will not!" Harry swore repentantly.

Aurelius sighed and cupped Harry's cheek with his hand. "I do not like punishing you. You are my son, my Heir. I do not want to see happen to you what has happened to so many of our kind." Aurelius knelt down in front of Harry and took his face in both his hands. "You are powerful, but not even you could stand against the Elders were the Wizards to find out what you have become. Do you not understand that it is not only you at risk, but our Clan, Terin's Clan, all of the Clans? They will do what they tried to do hundreds of years ago, they would destroy us all!"

"I know," Harry whispered. "I understand, Father."

"I hope you do, it is one lesson I do not wish to see you learn the hard way." Aurelius stood. "Arise, tell me of these visions. You should have told me the moment you started having them."

Harry nodded and stood.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	12. Doubt

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twelve – Doubt

Harry quite literally was bored out of his mind. He was sitting beside Aurelius in the Council Chambers at the Danwin Estate. The Clan leaders and their respective Heirs were sitting around the large table discussing future plans, contracts and treaties and such. If it weren't for Terin, every once in a while nudging him under the table, Harry thought he would have zoned out long ago.

He understood the importance of these meetings, really he did, but it would be another fifty years before his voice would be heard among the Clans. Until then it was Aurelius' words and opinions that mattered, not his. To be honest the Heirs were only present so that the Clan leaders didn't have to repeat themselves. He supposed it was prudent to learn where each of the Clans stood before the leaders' slept and how everyday matters were handled, but couldn't he learn that without feeling like an insignificant insect on a wall?

Terin nudged him again and then glanced down the table to the Tormen Elder and his two sons. Harry followed her gaze. Leas was glaring at him as usual, but his older brother was doing much the opposite. Harry smirked back as the Vampire raised an elegant eyebrow in challenge. He wasn't nearly as pretty as his brother, but he certainly wasn't unattractive either.

Terin leaned into Harry's shoulder. "I think you've got yourself an admirer," she barely whispered into his ear. "I wonder what he's like beneath the sheets."

Harry had to wonder too. He blushed lightly and looked away as the other Vampire licked his lips and continued to stare at him as if he was the most tasty morsel he'd ever savored. Leas noticed the interaction between Harry and his brother and rolled his eyes in disgust.

Terin chuckled silently and nudged Harry in the ribs again. "I think someone's jealous."

Harry couldn't help glancing playfully up again, but the small smile he wore left him and he sat up straighter as a figure slipped through the door behind them.

Harry may have been the first to notice him, but the others took notice just as quickly. The Vampires on that end of the table turned and the figure stepped out of the shadows and bowed. "Forgive me for interrupting Council, Masters, but I have just received intelligence that you all should be aware of."

Terin's father stood up and nodded. "What is it you have found, Liam?"

"We have not yet been able to confirm, Master, but we believe the Ashwood Coven has come into possession of large amount of Dark Silver."

"When did you find this out? Do you know where they possibly could have gotten it?" Aurelius asked with a hard voice, as he too stood and the others muttered amongst themselves.

"We were informed by our spy within the Borsnik Coven only moments ago, Master. He is trying to confirm without getting caught, but he believes the Dark Silver came in from Budapest."

Harry felt the blood drain out of his face as the others turned to look at him.

"You said you had taken all of the Dark Silver they had," Leas spoke up from next to his father.

"I said I thought I had, I didn't exactly have time to search the other buildings," Harry defended himself heatedly. Aurelius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder to calm him.

"I had others search the area after Harry returned. There was nothing left but rubble and ash," Aurelius stated calmly. "This Dark Silver may have come from the same area, but I doubt it is from the same source. Can your spy confirm without revealing himself?" Aurelius asked.

Liam nodded. "I believe so, Master. He was only alerted of its possibility because the Borsnik Coven was called to a meeting from the Ashwood. Apparently, the Ashwood Coven has been trying to organize the European Covens to form one larger Coven, but the smaller Covens are still hesitant to do so. My spy wasn't in the room when the leaders met, but he told me they were all speaking of a weapon and new advantages when they came out."

"I move that we send our best and purge the Ashwood Coven before they become a problem," the leader of the Smaloth Clan announced from the other end of the table.

"I second that, you all are aware what the rogue Coven in Budapest did to us with the liquid Dark Silver. They could destroyed hundreds of us in that fashion if they are allowed to become organized enough," the Mistress of the Farmel Clan stated and others nodded in agreement.

Harry frowned. Did they not see the risk in that, to go in with no further knowledge? The Coven in Budapest had slaughtered all but three of the Clan's best Hunters, and though they had lost many on their own side, there were still dozens more of them. A thought suddenly occurred to him, what if there was a Prowler behind the Ashwood Coven's movements as well. New advantages, the Budapest Coven certainly had those after they were turned by Djaq into Shifters.

Harry stood up before he realized what he was doing. "Did your spy mention anything of a turning or Shifters?" Harry asked Liam hesitantly.

"What is your Heir suggesting, Aurelius, that another Prowler could be behind this?" the leader of the Makah Clan demanded to know from across from them.

Aurelius' hand clamped down on Harry's shoulder. "I assure you, Tanice, he is doing no such thing," he replied coolly, glaring at Harry.

"But I am," Harry insisted before he could stop himself, and all eyes turned on him. Harry tried not to shrink back at the Elders' intense gazes, and pushed aside the pain that was now shooting down his arm as his Master growled at him. "What if there is another Prowler? What if he's already turned the Ashwood Coven into Shifters? Anyone sent to destroy the Coven could be walking into a repeat of what happened in Budapest!"

"Enough, Harry," Aurelius growled warningly and Terin looked up to Harry uncertainly and with her own caution in her eyes.

But Harry pushed his Master's warning aside. "Please Masters, I urge you to at least look into the possibility before you act."

"Your Heir's concern is amusing, Aurelius," scoffed the leader of the Azathose Clan. "Most of us were present at the purging of the Prowlers, Childe. It is no more than a bizarre twist of fate that one was able to survive. That a second could have possibly escaped as well is impossible."

"If I have learned anything in my life, Masters, nothing is impossible," Harry growled.

"That is enough, Harry, silence yourself," Aurelius hissed angrily and attempted to push Harry down into his seat.

Harry shrugged his hand from his sore shoulder and stood firm. Terin and the other Heirs looked up at him as if he'd lost his mind, and perhaps he had because he pushed on. "If you are so sure of yourselves that another Prowler could not exist, then by all means send in your best to the slaughter, because that's what they'll be walking into! But if you even have a smudge of doubt, then maybe you should look into your own memories and realize that they could be faulty. After all, one did escape, and a year ago you would not have believed otherwise!" Harry shouted.

"I said be silent!" Aurelius roared and backhanded Harry, knocking him back into his seat. Harry bowed his head in submission and did as commanded. Aurelius glared hard down at him and then looked up at the other. "I apologize for my Heir's disobedience, Masters. I was unaware he still harbored adverse feelings about his capture. I assure you his concerns are fabricated."

Harry dared to glare up at Aurelius angrily, but remained silent. He should not have spoken out as he did, it wasn't his place, and he certainly should not have insulted the Elder's memories like that, but why couldn't they see reason? Terin touched his arm, but he pulled away, looking away from her. He was already going to be punished for his behavior when they left here; he didn't need Terin's pity on top of that.

"It is perfectly understandable, Aurelius, he is very young still, he will understand in time," Terin's father said dismissively. "I too agree we should purge the Ashwood Coven, however a small amount of caution should be taken regardless."

Harry looked to the head of Terin's Clan. If the Elders would listen to anyone it would be Aeolian. The Danwin Clan were among the few Vampire Clans still left in the world that were strictly born and not turned. It was a known fact that the Danwin Clan was not only one of the oldest Clans, but also they were not entirely Vampire. The oldest of the Clan were Elvin Vampires, a rather deadly combination, which was why the Clan produced some of the best assassins in the world, and why others avoided challenging Terin like she had the plague. Even Aurelius admired them as much as he grouched about the Clan and its members.

"You don't seriously believe in Aurelius' Heir's fears?" the leader of the Tormen Clan asked.

"Of course not," he said with amusement in his voice and Harry looked away from the Elder. "I too believe it not possible for there to be another Prowler, however they could have liquefied the Dark Silver already and that is threat enough."

Several others nodded in agreement. Harry sighed at least they were going to take some precautions, even if they thought his opinions preposterous.

"Pardon, Masters, but what if intelligence suggests that there is a Prowler?" Terin asked timidly and the Elders turned their eyes on her in disbelief. "I've, of course, read the history, Masters, and I don't believe there could be either," she added glancing at Harry regretfully. "But what is to be done if there is? I only bring this concern up, for the safety of the Clans. I've heard Harry's story many times. His description of the Prowler and his Shifters, I fear collectively, they are stronger than all of us, and that is alone without the Covenants support."

"Forgive me Lady Terinnia, but I too have heard Harry's _story_, and I've come to see it as nothing more than that, a _story_," Leas sneered, glaring smugly at Harry. Harry growled lightly in response, but remained silent at Aurelius' glare.

"You do not believe his recounting is true?"

"Forgive me, Father, but I believe it is possible that it's nothing more than a fabrication. Perhaps maybe he believes it. By his own admittance, he was starved for several days. Maybe he made it up in his delirium. Or maybe he fabricated it to save himself in the face of the ridicule of his failure to protect Terinnia and allowing himself to be captured."

"Lord Tormen, I would believe it a possibility as well, but he brought back proof, did he not?" Tanice asked.

Leas smiled slightly at the Makah Elder. "Did he, Mistress? The only evidence that there ever was a Prowler was a pendant made of Dark Silver that he brought back with him. He could have taken it off of a Slayer who was keeping it as a protective talisman. We've seen them with them before."

A couple of the other Masters nodded in agreement and looked at Harry. Harry glared at Leas, but continued to remain silent, not further wanting to upset Aurelius by speaking out, even in his own defense.

"Harry also brought back the liquid Dark Silver that had been used against him, and the blade he was wounded with, and still bears the scars of," Terin stated, glaring at Leas.

"Yes, fortunate that, but I never saw any evidence that it was used against him, I only know his word," Leas said almost casually. "He claims he is immune to Dark Silver, but I personally never saw him touch it directly, did any of you?" he asked sitting back comfortably in his chair.

"Yes, Leas, I did!" Terin hissed coolly, standing from her seat. Her father put his hand on her arm warningly and she tempered her tone, but remained standing. "So didn't Master Donavan and Telganne over there." The Vampire, Harry recognized as one of the three who had not been killed in Budapest, nodded in agreement, when all eyes turned to him. "He was wounded by the Dark Silver blade he brought back. It was why we had to leave him in the first place," Terin explained.

Leas smirked. "I was under the impression Dark Silver poisoning kills a Vampire in seconds," he said, his eyes looking around the table as if for conformation. "Was he dead when you left?" his eyes swept from Terin to Telganne and Harry rolled his eyes.

Terin looked uncertain if she should answer that as all eyes turned on her again. "No," she said. "He wasn't. He urged us to go before we were killed too. He sacrificed himself for us."

"He was awake and aware when you left him?" the leader of the Morthanea Clan questioned and Harry narrowed his eyes, wondering where this questioning was going. Terin nodded hesitantly. "And you are absolutely certain he was poisoned by Dark Silver, and not another poison?" she asked, looking from Terin to Telganne.

"I – yes, it was a Dark Silver blade," Terin said firmly and then looked to Harry. "I pleaded for him to not fight the Slayer because of it," she said looking to her father who had growing doubt in his eyes.

"Did you see this blade, Telganne?" she asked her heir.

"No, Mistress, I did not," he answered. "I only saw him after he fell."

Harry looked around at the Masters, they were all now looking at him with doubt in their eyes, including Aurelius and he couldn't remain silent any longer. "I assure you all, my story is true," Harry said timidly. Aurelius looked down at Harry. "Please, Father, I haven't lied to you."

Aurelius' eyes darkened. "And yet you have before."

Harry felt his breath catch in his throat at his Master's words and he looked away in shame.

...

Harry sat on the floor in the middle of the Manor library. He had books and parchments strewn out around him, most of them on the old laws of the Clans. Laws that were in place back before the Clans had withdrawn from the Wizarding world, back before the Prowlers were hunted down by the Clans and Covens. Back when the Vampire nation was whole and the Court still existed. Other books held amendments to the laws and new laws that had been passed over the centuries. Harry was trying to find a loophole to the law about revealing the Clans to the Wizarding world.

He didn't want to betray his Clan; they were like his family, that's not why he was doing this. And it wasn't because he wanted to go back to his old life either; he was almost content where he was. But Harry's visions had not abated, and a new element had joined them, one that would leave both his old world and his new one in ruin.

He'd tried to talk to Aurelius about it, but his Master wouldn't hear it. He believed that Harry believed that his nighttime visions were real, but he didn't believe they were. He'd said, "_Vampires have dreams and nightmares just like everyone else, they are only more vivid_." Aurelius had told Harry to forget about them, push them aside and not worry about it, it was just his fear coming to life in his dreams. But Harry couldn't do that, he knew the difference between a vision and a dream. He'd learned that lesson hard in his fifth year. And yes the dreams were often times confusing and sometimes looked like they weren't even of the future, or a future that made any sense to Harry, but he knew they were real, they would be real.

The Elders might be comfortable believing that all of the Prowlers were dead. And thanks to Leas, many of them believed it was possible that there had not been one back at all to begin with. But Harry strongly believed that there could be another, maybe even more than one.

From what he'd read, not since the time of the Prowlers, had the Covens organized themselves as a whole. They'd never coexisted peacefully with the Clans, but they didn't actively seek out to destroy all of them either. They were a low key, mostly family run organization. They actively sot to destroy those individuals who had wronged their family in the past, an eye for an eye deal, but otherwise only killed those Vampires who came across their path or were causing trouble to the rest of society. They weren't into mass destruction like the Coven in Budapest had been.

The organizing of themselves and obtaining the Dark Silver suggested that decimating all of the Clans was exactly what they were planning. It didn't make any sense to Harry, that they would suddenly decide this on their own. There had to be a catalyst. The Prowlers had to be that catalyst. They had more than ample reason to want to destroy the Vampire Clans. After all, it was the Clan's decision to destroy them; they'd only enlisted the help of the Covens. It would only make sense for the Prowlers to do the same, a slap in the face.

And even if Harry didn't have all that to go on, there was another thing that nagged at him. He'd dealt with bad guys on a regular basis for the last several years of his life, and if he'd discovered anything about them, it was that they liked to gloat, especially when they were the one in control. Djaq had boasted about his creation of the Shifters, about him being faster and stronger than Harry. He'd even once gloated, while he was taking him, that he could make Harry beg to be his willing slave. But not once did he brag about being the last of the Prowlers in existence. Harry would think that surviving the purging of his race, while supposedly none other had, would give Djaq plentiful reason to be proud of himself, and yet he'd said nothing about it.

So Harry was planning. He didn't want to get involved in another bloodbath, but he also didn't want to see his Clan destroyed when he could possibly prevent it. The Clans were sending in their hunting party that night and Harry prayed that everything went well for them and that he was wrong about the Prowlers, but he wasn't going to hold his breath. He only hoped Santo returned safely.

Harry pushed aside one book and pulled another towards him. He'd realized something about the Covens who were gathering, they were all Muggle based. There wasn't a single Wizard among them. Now it could be that the Wizards kept to themselves, but during the purge, the Wizarding Covens had been even more help to the Clans than the Muggle ones had, simply because they could do magic. If it turned out he was correct about the Prowlers, the Clans were going to need their help, but the only way to get the Wizarding Covens attention was to expose themselves. Like all other Wizards, they too believed that the day-wandering Vampire Clans were extinct. Harry was sure there must be a few who knew, but they were all under the same Penalty of Death oaths that all of the Covens were. It was part of the magical pact that made them Covenant Slayers.

A shadow suddenly covered the lamp behind Harry and he quickly looked up in time to see Vantesh about to tap him on the shoulder. He had been so immersed, he hadn't even sensed the other Vampire enter the room. He looked up at him curiously.

"Sorry to interrupt, Harry, but I have found something."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Something… as in something, something?" he ask as he stood fluidly, when he realized what he meant.

Vantesh smiled slightly. "Yes, I believe I have finally found something out about your immunity to Dark Silver."

"Excellent, tell me," Harry said excitedly. Not only could he finally prove his story real to the Elders, but he could rub it in Leas' face.

Vantesh raised a finger to his lips and looked around almost warily. "Not here. Come, others should not overhear."

Harry frowned slightly, but nodded and followed the man, leaving his books where they were. At first, he thought Vantesh was taking him out of the Manor, but then he turned down a familiar hall. Harry backed a step away when the Vampire stopped in front of the door to the basement, opened it and entered without so much as hesitating. Harry stared into the darkness uncertainly, he could feel Josef strongly and he'd sworn to Aurelius he'd stay away.

Vantesh looked back briefly, rolled his eyes and then grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him forward, closing the door behind them. He led him down the stairs, not letting go of him, and just as Harry thought they were going to the Chamber, Vantesh stopped, halfway between the stairs and the door. He pressed his hand into the wall and the wall slid open revealing another dark hallway Harry never would have guessed was there.

Vantesh continued to lead Harry down the hall until they came to a door. He slid the bolt on the outside and then pushed the door inward. He pulled Harry into the room and the door closed behind them as florescent lights sprung on overhead. Harry looked around, they were in some sort of lab, but nothing like Harry had ever seen before. It almost looked like a cross between a Chemistry lab and a Potions lab and it had the most extensive set up of Muggle testing equipment that Harry had ever seen.

"Welcome to my sanctuary," announced Vantesh grandly. "Do not touch anything," he said seriously.

Harry nodded numbly, still looking around. He would never have guessed something like this was in the Manor. The rest of the Manor, minus the really nice cars and electric lightning, just seemed so archaic. Harry shook his head. "Right, so what did you find out?"

Vantesh walked over to a table and picked up a modern looking vial, corked with a black rubber stopper, and held what was clearly blood. He held it up to Harry. "This is your blood," he said simply and then he held up a second vial, this one looked to be made of crystal and rather old crystal at that. Harry would guess sixteenth century old, maybe later. It was similar to what he'd seen in Snape's private stores back at Hogwarts. "This is Prowler blood and was very hard to come by." He put the two vials back in a rack at the end of the table and then motioned Harry over to two microscopes. "Take a look."

Harry looked oddly at Vantesh for a moment and then leaned down and looked through the first microscope, though he didn't understand the point, as he didn't know what he was looking for, that was until he looked through the second microscope. He looked over his shoulder at Vantesh in surprise, as he was now standing directly behind him. "The cells are the same," he finally said.

Vantesh nodded. "Not the same, but remarkably similar," he said and then leaned around Harry, and pulled one of the slides out and replaced it with another. "Look." Harry looked. This slide showed more similarities to the second one than the first, but it was slightly different also. "That is my blood, the one before was yours. Notice the difference," he said near Harry's ear.

Harry nodded. "You're missing something mine and the Prowler's blood has in common." Harry swallowed thickly before he straightened up from the microscope. "Are you saying I'm part Prowler?"

Vantesh half nodded. "Yes and no." Harry turned and looked up at him in confusion. "We do not know where the Prowlers come from, how they came into existence. We have no history on them, with the exception of just before the purging, when they started to become a problem. We do know that day-wandering Vampires and Prowlers are remarkably similar. We are both strong, fast, for the most part, immortal, and need blood to survive. At first glance, our differences are not very noticeable. Their skin is different, ours is pale, but otherwise normal looking. Theirs is pearl colored, distinctive to us. When they taste blood or are in a Blood Rage the patterns appear all over their body. Our eyes glow red. We are vulnerable to Dark Silver. Their vertebrae are weak. We can reproduce and they cannot."

Harry thought about that for a moment and then turned and looked at the slides again. "We're all the same species," he whispered. He glanced up at the wall behind the microscopes, just noticing the mirror there and blinked as he become aware of how close Vantesh was standing behind him.

Vantesh nodded, staring at him through the mirror intently. "I believe so. I think the Prowlers were once Vampires that went through a second transformation. Maybe by magic, I am not sure. But whatever happened to them, caused the bloodlust to be dominant in them, made them faster and stronger, immune to Dark Silver, and made them fragile and infertile."

"One weakness for another sounds like magic to me," Harry muttered. His eyes suddenly widened. "What if the Prowlers aren't just back, but recreated?"

Vantesh nodded. "That is what I thought as well." He frowned. "But it does not make much sense though. Why would a Vampire turn himself into a Prowler, only to turn on his own kind?"

Harry shrugged, he didn't know. He turned around again and looked up into Vantesh's eyes. "That doesn't explain why I'm immune to Dark Silver," he stated.

Vantesh smiled. "No it does not, but I did discover something else." He took a step closer to Harry, backing him against the table. "Your blood can make the rest of us immune to Dark Silver," he whispered and then quicker than Harry expected, he grabbed him and bit into his neck.

Harry hissed at the initial pierce of his skin, but then bit his lip to keep from moaning as the other Vampire covered his mind with his own. Vantesh obviously didn't want to hurt him, but Harry wasn't inclined to enjoy it either, even if his body was currently saying otherwise. He tried to push the older Vampire away as he felt himself growing weaker, but Vantesh held his upper arms locked to his sides, making it impossible to move.

Vantesh suddenly retched his mouth away forcefully. "Gods your blood is exquisite," he whispered shakily, still holding Harry tightly. He seemed to realize that, as he quickly loosened his grasp. "I am sorry, Harry, I had not meant to take so much," he said remorsefully, looking down into his eyes. He blinked in confusion at the fear he saw there.

Harry pulled away and backed himself to the other side of the room, and only stopped once his back hit the wall and then he slid down it. He shakily brought his hand to his neck and though Vantesh hadn't closed the puncture holes, they were already healing. Harry couldn't bring himself to look up at the other Vampire, as memories of Djaq came to the forefront of his mind.

Vantesh gasped and then was kneeling in front Harry not a second later. "Gods, Harry, I am so sorry. I did not even think about…"

"Leave," Harry commanded, not looking up. Vantesh was gone not a moment later.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	13. Attack

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Thirteen – Attack

Harry didn't know how long he'd stayed sitting in Vantesh's lab. It could have been minutes, hours; an entire day even. He knew Vantesh hadn't meant to hurt him. It wasn't uncommon for Vampires to share blood. He had even had some of Vantesh's blood before. But no one had taken his blood since Djaq. Perhaps Aurelius was correct. Maybe he did still harbor adverse feelings about his capture.

Harry wasn't sure what it was that had brought him back from the dazed stupor he'd slipped into, but he found himself suddenly speeding out of the lab and down the hall. He came to a dead stop in the corridor that led back to the stairs, but it wasn't in that direction that Harry was staring.

At first he wasn't sure what was different. He knew what he was supposed to be seeing, a closed door. Harry took a step forward and his breath caught in his throat. The door was open. He took another step forward and then another. He was just about in the entryway when he froze at what he was seeing.

A Vampire Harry didn't recognize was standing in the center of the room with a dagger in one hand, with her other hand held out above the dais. It took Harry a moment to comprehend what she intended to do, but when he did, he flew at her, pulling the knife away just before it touched her skin, and throwing her away from the dais. She landed in a heap on the side of the room.

"Are you insane?" he growled, advancing on her as she warily pushed herself into a sitting position and then began backing away from Harry. "Do you have any idea what you almost did? You could have killed us both, he could have killed half the Clan!" he shouted angrily at the girl, unaware as power swirled around him.

"I'm s-sorry, my Lord, p-please…" she pleaded timidly, with a light accent and her head bowed and hidden behind her long straight brown hair.

Harry stopped, startled at the girl's trembling voice. He took a step back, shocked by his own behavior and the power he felt coming from him. He consciously reined in his magic and softened his tone. "Who are you?" he asked gently.

The girl stood cautiously with her head still lowered and her face still concealed in shadow. She wore a simple white dress that spun around her ankles as she took a step forward, moving with a seductive grace, and then another. "No one of consequence, my Lord," she whispered, raising her eyes to his.

Harry took an immediate step back. "You are no Vampire!" he hissed in shock.

A small smirk came to the girl's red lips as swirling red marks came to life all over her skin. Her glowing catlike blue eyes focused in on his, holding his gaze. "No, I am not," she hissed and then she was standing directly in front of Harry with her hand around his throat. She squeezed lightly, but not enough to hurt him or cut off his air.

With only a light bit of pressure, Harry found himself sinking to his knees. He wanted to fight, but couldn't move. He tried to look away from the hypnotic eyes, but he couldn't seem to find the will. Djaq had nothing on this Prowler's compulsions, Harry realized with a sudden feeling of dread. She had complete control over him. The Prowler placed her other hand on his cheek and he hissed as she ran her fingernail through his flesh. Harry felt the blood well up on his face and prayed none fell to the floor.

"Djaq was right, you are beautiful," she purred, though her words were like ice as she trailed her fingers lightly over the scars left by Djaq and then back through his hair. "I was going to sacrifice a part of myself to awaken him, but now it seems I need not to. Fortunate for me, you will do nicely and my brother will have his revenge." She smiled at the growing panic in Harry's eyes. "Hmm, and the Clans will be none the wiser about our return. They will think you foolishly awakened him. This works out perfectly."

Harry tried to fight against her compulsion as she bent and kissed him on the lips, but he could barely even strain his muscles. She giggled at his attempts as she pulled away, licking her lips. Harry nearly fell forward as she took her hand off his throat and he found he could move again. But before he had the chance to react she swiped out her hand, that now held the knife and sliced across the base of his throat.

Harry quickly grabbed at his neck, but the blood flowed swiftly through his fingers and splashed onto the floor. The Prowler smirked, dropped the knife, and then sped out of the room, closing and bolting the door behind her. Harry could only watch as his blood disappeared into one of the holes that surrounded the dais and then the dais was sliding open.

Harry scrambled away weakly. He knew it wasn't likely to help him, but he didn't know what else to do. He closed his eyes as he leaned back again the wall. The wound on his neck was already closing, but his blood was soaking the front of his shirt. Josef would know exactly where he was without even looking. Harry could only pray his death was quick.

Harry startled as he felt a hand on his face and he couldn't help but open his eyes and look up into the red ones of the Vampire that stood over him. Harry didn't know what he expect to see. He'd never seen a Vampire awaken after five hundred years of sleep. He thought maybe a half-decayed corps, but Josef looked like any other Vampire. His skin was as flawless as his brother's, perhaps a bit paler, a little unhealthy looking for a Vampire. His hair was just as black as Aurelius', but he had a boyishness about his appearance that Aurelius lacked. He didn't look much older than nineteen, though the close he wore were outdated.

Suddenly Harry was being pulled to his feet and he could only go willingly. His breathing quickened as he was gently pushed against the wall. "So much blood," Josef murmured and Harry closed his eyes again as the Elder Vampire tilted his head slightly and leaned into him. Harry stiffened as he felt Josef lick at the closed wound on his neck. "Relax, Childe," he whispered and kissed the pulse point on Harry's neck.

Harry gasped and grasped at the wall with his hands as the Vampire's teeth sunk into his neck. He moaned, as he was pressed further against the wall by Josef's body as the Elder's mind flowed into his effortlessly. Pleasure, unlike anything he'd ever experienced, coursed through him as his blood was stolen. The only single thought that came to his mind as he felt himself grow weaker, was that at least he didn't have to die in pain. The darkness behind Harry's eyelids blackened and he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness, even as stars exploded behind his eyes.

...

Harry woke up to the taste of blood on his tongue, a bright light shining through his closed eyelids, and someone running their fingers through his hair soothingly. At first Harry thought maybe he was dreaming, he had to be dreaming, but then a deep chuckle had him blinking open his eyes and looking up into the perfect face of Aurelius' brother.

"I'm not dead," Harry whispered ineloquently with clear confusion in his voice.

Josef chuckled again and then looked up with seriousness in his eyes, to someone standing behind Harry. "I like him, Aurelius, he amuses me. You have chosen well, Brother. I'll let you keep him." Harry slowly followed Josef's gaze.

"Sometimes I have my doubts," Aurelius said in a voice of steel from where he stood like an avenging angel beside Harry's bed.

Harry immediately sat up and scrambled off the bed. He fell to his knees in front of Aurelius. "Father, I'm sorry. Please forgive me," he pleaded.

"Why," Aurelius said, not looking at him, and Harry felt his heart skip a beat. Was he not going to even let him explain? After a long moment, Aurelius finally looked down at him. "Why did you do this?"

Harry sighed. "It wasn't me, Father. There was a Prowler, she was going to awaken him herself, but I stopped her. She overpowered me and…" Harry put his hand to his throat in memory.

"A Prowler, here in my manor?" questioned Aurelius, staring down at Harry with almost dispassionate eyes.

Harry nodded uncertainly. "Yes, she cut me and locked me in," he said insistently.

"The door was not locked," Aurelius said simply and Harry shrunk back.

"Please, Father…" he begged.

"I believe you," Aurelius whispered and Harry blinked up at him. "The hunting party came back a quarter of what it was. Shifters killed the rest. I should not have doubted you. I am sorry, my son."

"A quarter," Harry whispered, staring up at Aurelius. "Santo did he…" Aurelius shook his head and Harry closed his eyes. If they had only believed him in the beginning…

"Vantesh tells me your blood can make us immune to Dark Silver," Aurelius said a moment later and Harry opened his eyes to look up at his Master warily.

"Really?" asked Josef from where he was now standing casually beside Harry's bed. "I am immune to Dark Silver now, what an advantage!"

"You will keep this a secret, I have already sworn Vantesh to secrecy," Aurelius told Josef seriously as much as he was telling Harry. "I will not have the Clan draining you out of fear."

Harry stood slowly. "Father, I don't wish to be drained either," he said cringing at the thought. "But perhaps giving my blood in a controlled environment," he suggested.

"You believe it necessary for the whole Clan to be immune?" Josef asked. "Surely the Covens have not gotten that much Dark Silver."

Harry turned to look at Josef. "I believe they may have, Master," he said carefully and then his eyes turned back to Aurelius. "It may be our only advantage over them, especially if there are Prowlers aligning with the Covens."

"Prowlers, as in more than one, and allying with the Covens?" asked Josef in alarm. "Good Lord, what have you awoken me into?"

"Calm yourself, brother, I will explain in time," Aurelius said. "You believe there is more than one, why?"

"Vantesh believes so as well. He told you about his discovery, about their blood and ours?" Harry asked with a little more confidence, and Aurelius nodded with a frown.

"That they were possibly once Vampire themselves," he stated.

Josef's eyes widened at that revelation. "Truly?" he whispered.

Harry nodded. "We think that maybe someone's turning them, or creating them with magic, or – I don't know, Father, it's all speculation, but the fact remains that I've fought and killed one, and now I've been attacked by another, who knew the one I killed! That cannot be coincidence, and where there are two, it's likely there has to be more. And if they're turning the Muggle Covens into Shifters…"

"Muggle, only the non-magical?" questioned Josef and Harry nodded. "Why not the magical Covens?" he asked.

Harry looked to Aurelius briefly, but his Master was looking at him, waiting for an explanation as well. "Well, I was looking though the books earlier. There aren't any magical Covens around here, or if there are, they don't likely know about us, so they wouldn't have been approached by the Ashwood Coven because of the Death Oath the Covens all took when we separated from the Wizarding world."

Aurelius and Josef were silent for a moment as they thought that over. "They have Dark Silver, and have managed to melt it down," Josef said slowly. "That would mean they have someone who is magical and powerful."

"Prowlers are magical and powerful, Master," Harry muttered lightly.

But he wasn't any longer thinking on the same thing the two masters likely were. If the Prowlers were indeed being created again, _who_ was creating them? But that didn't seem quite right to Harry. For some reason he was certain that Prowlers weren't created with just magic. There was something else that was needed, something the Muggle Covens didn't have… _Magical blood_. Harry was about to tell the two that, but he shook the thought away instead because he wasn't sure why he was certain of that.

"The oath prevents the Covenant Slayers from revealing us to the Wizarding World. So someone who has magic and already knows about us or…" Harry's eyes widened as he understood where Aurelius' brother was going. "Is one of us," Josef hissed, his eyes taking on a slight glow at the very thought of such a betrayal.

Aurelius' frown deepened. "Call together the Clan, Josef. I want to know how a Prowler got into my Manor unhindered," he said with a growl and then swept out of the room as a loud crash of thunder shook the manor.

Harry looked after his Sire uncertainly. Why had he given Josef the order to gather the Clan? Wasn't that his job as his Heir? He looked over at Josef, who was staring after his brother as well. Did Josef being awake now mean that Harry was no longer Lord of the Clan?

"Hmm… I have not seen him that angry in centuries. I do hope I am wrong," Josef said quietly to Harry and then followed his brother.

Harry warily looked through his bedroom window to the darkening sky, which had been cloudless moments ago. He hoped Josef was wrong too and he hoped he hadn't just lost his position as Lord.

...

Aurelius had not been able to discover how the Prowler had gotten into the Manor, no one in the Clan had let her in and no one remembered seeing her, not even the servants. So yet again, they were in a Clan Council meeting. Harry was sitting beside Terin again, but instead of Aurelius, on his other side Josef sat. Harry felt as if he was being cast aside in favor of the Elder. Now that Josef was awake, he was rightfully the Heir to the Clan. Whether or not he'd claim the position, Harry didn't know, but it still troubled him.

The Elders were all arguing over the revelation Aurelius had brought before them. He'd come with Vantesh's suspicions and results from his work. Minus the fact that Harry's blood could make all of them immune to Dark Silver, of course. Aurelius had decided that until the situation proved dire, they would keep the secret of Harry's Prowler-like blood. Watching the Elders bickering amongst themselves, Harry could only imagine what would happen to him if they all found out. Some of them were casting him dark looks as it was, as if he were the cause of all of this.

Terin kept whispering reassuring words to him every time someone leveled an accusation at him, and she had her hand clamped around his, more than likely to keep him from standing and defending himself. Harry was doing his best to keep a hold of his temper, but they were very close to pushing him over the edge. Even with all of the evidence, the majority of the Elders didn't want to believe what Aurelius was saying. They still thought Harry was lying; there wasn't any proof, with the exception of Harry's memories of their being a Prowler after all.

Harry's hand suddenly tightened on Terin's and she looked at him questioningly. "Memories, my memories," he muttered to himself. He needed to get a hold of a Pensieve, he needed to show them what he'd seen, what he'd been through. It was the only way for them to believe him. The only problem with that was that he'd have to walk into a major Wizarding shopping area, preferably a place like Diagon Alley, to obtain one, or maybe even Knockturn Alley. They were rare to find, so not just any Wizarding store would have one.

The meeting soon broke up for a recess and Harry was one of the first to leave the Council Chambers in Saleio Manor. He was bordering on rude when he left, he knew that, but he didn't rightly care either. Terin followed shortly after him as he walked swiftly through the halls, and caught up to him just as he reached his rooms. Harry let her in and then closed the door.

"Leaving like you did wasn't the best idea," Terin said lightly. "I know it's hard for you to hear them saying those things after what you went through, but…"

"That's not why I left the way I did," Harry interrupted. "I think I know a way for them to believe me, the only problem is that it's a Wizarding way, a Pensieve."

"You are not seriously considering going into a Wizard populated area again, are you?" Terin questioned.

Harry turned away from her to look out his windows. "Not just any Wizard populated area, Diagon Alley."

"That's insanity! Harry, even if Master Aurelius hadn't forbidden you, if the Wizards were to even suspect what you've been turned into… Harry, don't do this!"

"Yes, Harry, don't do this," a sneer came from behind them and Harry and Terin spun around to see Leas standing in the now open doorway. "And here I thought you cared about the Clans' survival."

"Leas, please don't tell anyone. Harry is not going anywhere near the Wizards. Isn't that right, Harry, you aren't," Terin pleaded quietly.

Harry nodded as he glared at Leas. "I'm not, it was only a thought, that's all," Harry said evenly.

"You are not a very convincing liar," Leas whispered with a small smirk on his lips. He stared hard at him for long moment and then he stepped into Harry's room and closed the door softly behind him. He pulled something from his Clan robes and then thrust it into Harry's hands. It was a letter, a parchment letter.

Harry turned the letter over. It wasn't addressed to anyone. "What is this?" he questioned, opening the letter and starting to read it. "Merlin, it was real," he breathed out after glancing quickly over the letter. "How did you get this?" he hissed severely. Terin narrowed her eyes and then snatched the letter from Harry.

"Oh my God," she whispered as she scanned it.

"One of my father's servants is a Squib, she does me favors and I in turn allow her contact with her family once a month. They do not and will never know she works for Vampires," Leas assured when Terin growled lightly. "I read over all her letters before they are sent and intercept the ones that come in. That's the only reason I know about this. After recalling your description of the Prowlers, the letter obviously drew my attention."

Terin glared at Leas. "Why haven't you shown this to the Elders?" she demanded.

"I've grown fond of Linn," Leas said uncomfortably. "If I reveal this to the Elders they will kill her."

Harry raised an eyebrow, and here he thought nothing could touch Leas Tormen's heart. "And I suppose your own safety has played no small part at all," Harry hissed coldly.

"That concerns me little, as long as Linn is safe," Leas said seriously.

"You love her," Terin stated, her eyes widening.

"I believe she may be… She's my mate," he whispered truthfully.

Harry took the letter back from Terin. He didn't want to be responsible for another's death, but this was serious. "We still have to tell the Elders," he said firmly.

Leas suddenly grabbed Harry and slammed him up against the wall. "You will not tell them anything!" he growled into his face.

Harry stared back at Leas, quite sure that the other Vampire would tear him apart to protect his mate. "I'll tell them it was me who was in correspondence with the Wizards," he said evenly and Leas released him as he stared at him in shock. "I've written to them before, it wouldn't be that far off for Aurelius to believe it."

"You'd sacrifice yourself?" he asked.

"Yes," he said firmly. "They need to know this, and your mate doesn't deserve death only for keeping in touch with her family."

Terin literally shoved Leas out of the way. She fisted her hands into Harry's robes. "Harry, you can't!" she hissed severely. "You already promised Aurelius you won't contact the Wizards again, if he even thought that you've been communicating with them all this time…"

"I know," he whispered, looking away from Terin.

"No, you don't know!" Terin nearly shouted. "You could be killed for revealing this," she hissed.

"Perhaps," Harry said simply. "But they still need to know this." He looked up again and into Terin's eyes. "Our entire world may depend on it. I saw in a vision what was written in that letter, and I've had others," he said slowly. "This is only the beginning."

Harry gently pulled away from Terin's grasp as she stared at him with tears in her eyes and then he left his room with the letter in hand. There were no names on it, or Harry wouldn't have even considered doing this, but this letter could be his loophole in the law he needed. And the letter only proved his visions were real.

Leas and Terin followed shortly after Harry. Many of the Elders were congregated in the ballroom, conversing amongst themselves when Harry walked down the stairs and into the entrance hall. He received disapproving glares from many of them and their Heirs. He didn't get more than a couple feet into the ballroom before Aurelius grabbed him and pulled him back out. Harry saw Terin and Leas stop on the stairs.

"I can understand your anger, son," Aurelius hissed quietly. "But I will not see you be disrespectful during Council again, am I understood?"

"Yes, Father," Harry said evenly.

"Go to the Council Chambers, we will be reconvening soon. You will give your description of the Prowler who attacked you and woke Josef. Be specific and choose your words carefully. They must believe us and they will not if they have any doubt at all," Aurelius said seriously.

"They'll believe me, Father," Harry stated firmly. They'd have no choice, once they learned of what he was going to reveal to them.

Aurelius nodded and let Harry go. Harry watched him as he left back into the ballroom. His father was going to hate him for this. Harry turned towards the Council Chambers and found Terin blocking his path.

"Don't do this, please," she pleaded.

"I have to, you don't fully understand what this letter means, but I do." Harry continued on, not surprised when Terin and Leas both followed.

Harry stopped momentarily in the doorway of the Council Chamber. Josef was lounging back in his seat, the front legs of his chair off the ground and his feet on the table. He glanced up at Harry lazily when he entered and then raised an eyebrow. "You look as if someone has died. What did my dear brother do to you for your disrespect?" he asked with a small smirk touching his lips.

"Nothing," Harry said briskly and then took his seat.

Josef abruptly dropped his feet and sat up straight. "Nothing?" he asked almost as if he were shocked. "Has he gotten so lenient in the last five hundred years?"

"Perhaps he'll punish him later," Leas spoke up as he took his own seat.

Terin glared at the other Vampire. "Shut up, Leas," she hissed and dropped into her own chair beside Harry.

"I'll be all right," Harry whispered, though he barely believed his own words.

"My God, has he gotten more cruel?" Josef asked in alarm, looking between the two.

Harry didn't have a chance to answer as the others began filing back into the Council Chamber. He waited nervously as they all took their seats. Harry bit the inside of his lip when Aurelius squeezed his shoulder lightly as he passed. Finally, everyone was seated and Aurelius nodded his head for Harry to stand and speak. Harry stood and looked around at the most powerful Vampires in the world and found his words catching in his throat, especially as he caught Terin's eyes, who was pleading with him silently.

Harry looked away from her and cleared his throat. "I'm supposed to describe to you the Prowler who attacked me here in the Manor," he stated uneasily. "However, I believe this will give a more accurate description of what I've seen, for I am no longer the only one."

Many of the Elders had been casting their eyes away from him, clearly ignoring him, but their eyes all shot back to his at this statement. Aurelius glanced up at him with clear question in his eyes, but Harry looked away and held up the letter as he began to read.

"_A lot has happened since last I wrote you. The war seems to have escalated into our back yards, nowhere is safe anymore. The Ministry is talking of closing Hogwarts to prevent another attack. Diagon Alley was all but destroyed last week. Most of the shops are permanently closed, and I can say with absolute certainty that the attack was a bloodbath, for I was there. The Order of the Phoenix arrived before the Aurors as usual, but I don't think even they were prepared for what the Dark Lord had brought with him. Creatures, whose skin glowed red with strange markings; they had fangs like Vampires, but it was the middle of the day, and they stole the blood of anyone they could get their hands on, their bloodlust never seeming to be sated. Had I and several others not managed to barricade ourselves inside Gringotts, I've no doubt I would be part of the countless dead. I was afraid when the Dark Lord's Death Eaters came to call about our loyalties, but with these creatures, I fear for my very soul. We may have no other choice but to side with the Dark Lord, I fear our only other option is death_."

Harry lowered the letter. He could feel Aurelius' enraged glare on him, though he didn't turn to look at him. He stared at the Elders around him. They all had the expressions he knew they would, shock, disbelief, fear, dread, and anger, lots of anger.

"Voldemort has either convinced the Prowlers to side with him, or he is creating them, either way means he knows about us, the Wizards know about us," Harry stated firmly.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	14. Tempting Fate

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Fourteen – Tempting Fate

It didn't take long for the silence that settled over the Council Chamber to shatter, but it didn't happen as Harry had thought it would. He thought perhaps they'd all start talking at once, and maybe they would have, had Aurelius not stood up and left the Council Chamber all together, power literally flowing around him. Beside him, Josef stared after his brother with absolute fear in his eyes. He moved to stand, as if he were going to follow his brother, but seemed to think better of it.

"You have been in contact with the Wizards?" Josef questioned with a calm voice, though Harry could hear the anger regardless.

Harry looked at the table as he lied. "Yes."

"How long?" questioned Terin's father.

"A few months," Harry said and then looked up. "My contact doesn't know I'm a Vampire, or anything about us."

"How do we know this letter is not a forgery; that you have not written it simply to make us believe your stories?" the leader of the Smaloth Clan asked.

Harry wanted to growl at their inability to see past their own beliefs, but held himself in check. "It is not fake," he said and threw the letter onto the table, for all of them to see for themselves. "Find a Wizarding newspaper and you'll know that for sure. Diagon Alley is the central hub of Wizarding England, it's destruction would certainly make the news!"

"Say we believe you," Leas said quietly and Harry nearly smiled at the other Lord, nearly. "This Dark Lord, he may be a Wizard, but he is also Human, I do not see why the Prowlers, superior to him in everything, would even bother to follow him, even if he is the one creating them."

"When I was Human, I would say never to underestimate the Dark Lord. I had ample reason to fear him then. But when I became a Vampire, I put him out of my mind, forgot about him, thinking him below me because I am a superior race now. I am immortal, why should I have a reason to fear him any longer," Harry said almost quietly. "But what I have to force myself to remember is that Voldemort isn't simply Human, I doubt he's been that since before I was born. He's entrenched himself in such dark magic that he survived a Killing Curse rebounding back onto him. He managed to gain the respect and fear of the Dementors of Azkaban. He promised them souls, more than they could ever want and they joined him. Voldemort could offer the Prowlers just about anything. Blood, power, our deaths, anything they could ever want."

Harry fell silent, but remained standing. The tension in the air was very thick and Harry was afraid they wouldn't believe what he said. He was also quite afraid that they would simply kill him. Tanice suddenly stood and looked around at the other Elders, and Harry held his breath.

"Let us see passed Harry's trespass for now, and consider what he says to be truth. At this moment, for all we know, this Dark Lord Voldemort is amassing an army of Prowlers. It took the Covens and the Clans working together to destroy them in the past, and now they seem to be gaining the favor of the Covens…"

"Not all of them," Josef interrupted. He looked up to Harry who was about ready to drop into his seat as relief washed over him. "Tell them what you discovered about the Covens," he said simply.

Harry nodded. "I believe it is only the non-magical Covens who are being recruited by the Prowlers and turned into Shifters. Voldemort would have wanted to keep the Prowlers a secret for as long as possible before using them. It is likely the magical Covens do not know about us, which means they wouldn't have been recruited by the Muggle Covens because of their oath to protect our secret from the Wizarding World."

"You were a Wizard. Do you believe the magical Covens would help us if we asked them?" Mistress Sarnia asked.

Harry looked around at the Elders. "As far as I know, I've never met a Covenant Slayer from a magical Coven; however, if they are against Voldemort, I believe they would help us. I also believe other Wizards may be willing to help us, if we offer our assistance freely."

"We will recess to think on this," Terin's father announced and the Elders nodded in agreement and started to file out of the Council Chamber with their Heirs following behind them. Harry started to leave as well, but Josef clamped his hand onto his shoulder and pushed him down into his seat. Harry didn't resist.

"You lied. That letter was not intended for you, where did you get it, who are you lying for?" Josef asked softly into his ear as he stood behind him.

"No one and it matters little now that the Council knows of the threat," Harry answered stiffly.

Josef's hands tightened on his shoulders. "It matters a great deal. Aurelius chose you for his son, his Heir. This betrayal cannot go unpunished. He will appear weak to the other Elders if he does anything less than kill you."

Harry swallowed. "Then my life is forfeit," he said steadily.

"Yes, if you stand by your lie it is," Josef hissed, tightening his grip on Harry. "Do you know why I called to you in my sleep?"

Harry's breath caught, he hadn't known Josef had been aware of his presence. "No," he whispered.

"It is because you are powerful, and I have always been attracted to power. My brother scares me because of his power. It is why he leads the Clan and not I, though I am older. If Aurelius had not chosen you as his Heir, I would have and I would have used you to take the Clan from him."

"And you would have failed," Harry stated with absolute certainty.

Josef released his hold on Harry and laughed. "Your loyalty to my brother is admirable, but no, I would not have." Harry stared up at Josef as he loomed over him. "Before your blood woke me, I felt your power running off you in waves and then you pulled it back. I was awed by that power, afraid of it even, which is why I did not kill you. You are more powerful than Aurelius and you are still but a Childe."

"You're wrong," Harry whispered, looking away. "I could never possibly hope to match my father's power."

Josef caught his chin and turned his head back so that he was looking directly into his eyes as he sat beside Harry. "He made you his Heir, and in so doing, made you loyal to him. However, you can and have tested that loyalty, you have gone against him and that should be impossible."

Harry pulled away from Josef. "Why are you telling me this? I will not attempt to take over the Clan if that is your thought."

Josef laugh again and leaned back in his chair. "No, that is far from my thoughts. If I really wanted the Clan, I'd have it," he said easily. "No, normally, if he wanted your death, you would take your own life willingly to please him. But you are stronger than his compulsion. My brother has a very vindictive nature, especially when it comes to family who betray him. You can have this work in your favor. Beg him to kill you, tell him you wish not to see the Wizards fall to the Prowlers, that death is preferable. He will wound you, drain you, and send you back to them in a Blood Rage, which is equal punishment to death for most Vampires."

Harry stood up quickly. "And I will kill all of them!" he nearly shouted.

"Perhaps, maybe one or two before you regain control," Josef said dismissively with a small smirk. "But then you will be in the midst of a bunch of Wizards who once trusted Harry Potter and they will realize what you now are. I have read all about you. If they are intelligent enough, they will not kill you and you can personally ask for their help. And then you can contact us, we will contact the Covens and the Prowler situation will be resolved so much more quickly than if left entirely up to the council."

Harry blinked at the Elder Vampire. "You want me to sacrifice myself to kill the Prowlers faster?"

"You were willing to do it to reveal a simple letter and save whoever it belonged to, at least now it will be a much more worthy cause," Josef said with a small shrug. "And you may have a chance to come out alive at the end of it all."

"I think you've been asleep for too long, you're insane," Harry muttered, though he found himself giving the idea serious thought.

Josef chuckled. "The sleep has nothing to do with it."

Harry rolled his eyes. "How did you know?"

"That the letter was not yours?" Josef asked and Harry nodded. "Besides the fact that the writer did not sound like someone you would have been writing to, let us just say you should watch what you say in the family wing. There are little birds with good ears and big mouths."

"Mesha," Harry whispered.

"You are very lucky she saw me before she got to Aurelius." Josef paused a moment. "Then again, maybe not so lucky," he said with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders.

...

The Manor was unusually quiet as Harry walked back to his rooms. He'd looked for Terin in the ballroom, but she'd not been there and he wanted to see her before the council reconvened. He hoped she'd gone to his rooms.

When he got there, the door was open a crack. Harry smiled slightly and entered, expecting to find his friend, but there was no one there, which was odd because it felt as if someone was there. He looked around, even checked his bathroom.

"Terin?" he called out uncertainly, just in case, but there was no answer. He sighed in confusion and turned to look out his window to the clouded early afternoon sky. A sudden streak of lighting and a crash of thunder made Harry jump slightly and that was when he felt the magic coursing through the air, as his door was slammed closed.

Harry barely had time to turn before he was slashed across the lower back by a whip of fire. He fell to one knee as he arched and a scream caught in his throat from the pain. The whip slashed him across the middle of his back once more before Harry managed to fight through the pain and move, but another beam of magic struck him a moment later and he was frozen in place, facing his enraged Master.

Aurelius was livid, Harry could definitely see that. It was written all over his normally expressionless face. "Did I, or did I not, forbid you from contacting the Wizards?" Aurelius growled. "You swore to me you would not contact them!" he shouted.

Harry didn't know if he could talk under the freezing spell, but decided that remaining silent was probably the better course of action as he stared back at the glowing red eyes of his Master. Power was literally flowing around him, and Harry would have cringed away from it if he could. He didn't care what Josef thought, there was no way he'd ever have that kind of power.

"Speak!" Aurelius snarled.

Harry couldn't have remain silent anymore if he'd wanted to. "Please, Father," he gasped out. He didn't know what to say, should he try to reason with him, or simply beg for death. His will to survive won out before he'd fully decided. "The Wizards could help us. Please, you don't know Dumbledore, he – AAH!" Harry screamed as his Master slashed him across the back with the fire whip again.

Harry was released from the freezing spell and he collapsed on the wooden floor, breathing heavily and trying to block out the pain that was spreading over his bloody back. He gasped and nearly screamed again, but could do nothing as Aurelius tore his Clan robes away from him and he thought for sure his Master was going to kill him then and there. Aurelius grabbed Harry's hair and yanked his head back so Harry was looking into his father's eyes.

"Show me your wings," he hissed almost too calmly.

Harry swallowed shakily and then closed his eyes and brought forth his wings. His wings tried to embrace him, but he could feel that the last slashes had gone through his wing muscles as well and the pain was too much to move them.

"Look at me," Aurelius ordered and Harry opened his eyes. "You still foolishly believe that Dumbledore will welcome you back with open arms, even knowing what you are? Well let me shatter that belief, _son_. I guarantee that if he were to find you as you are, he would kill you within moments, no matter who you once were."

"You do not know Albus Dumbledore," Harry whispered. "He –"

"Obviously my word is not enough for you, so I am going to let you find out first hand." Harry's eyes widened. "You want to go back to Hogwarts, to your _Wizards_? Fine, you will go back to Hogwarts and then you will see for yourself just how Dumbledore feels about our kind, how all Wizards feel about our kind. And if you survive, _if_, you will come back to me and then the council will decide what to do with you." Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Aurelius was letting him go, that easily, no, it couldn't be that simple. "However, you will not go as you are. No, these Wizards you hold so dear, they will see you for what you truly are."

Harry's eyes widened further in fear, maybe death would be preferable. His breath suddenly caught in his throat as he realized something he'd not counted on. It was Halloween, which meant school was in session. He really hadn't thought this through completely, he'd have no control.

"Please, no!" Harry begged as he tried to get free, but it was no use and he fell silent as Aurelius yanked his head to the side, exposing his neck. There was a searing pain and then he could feel his blood draining agonizingly out of him. Harry swallowed back a scream as shadows enclosed around his vision, and he could only pray for oblivion to take him quickly, but the pain only went with him as he fell into darkness.

...

When Harry awoke, it was to a hunger more fierce than he'd felt since his capture by the Coven. His limbs felt starved of oxygen and the muscles twitched uncomfortably, and with a deep sense of urgency, he knew he needed blood and soon, he was already seeing red.

A deep loathing of Aurelius rushed through his mind as he sprung to his feet. The pain that raced through his back and wings was dulled by his need for blood. His eyes darted in all directions around him, and he instantly knew where he was, the Forbidden Forest. His senses flew to overdrive as his hearing picked up the sounds of laughter and many, many steady heartbeats. He could smell the youth of the fresh blood flowing through their veins and his fangs ached in painful anticipation.

Harry swept up to the edge of the forest bordering Hogwarts' grounds. He watched hungrily as Hagrid played with a bunch of small cat like creatures and the third or fourth year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs watched on with amusement, some laughing at the creatures' antics. Harry narrowed his eyes on the closest of the students. A deep growl emanated from his throat before he beat his wings down furiously and surged forward.

While one side of his brain, the one in control, the instinctual side, was focused on sating his bloodlust, the other side of his brain, the more sensible one, was screaming for him to stop. Not because he wanted to stop from sating his hunger, but because he was getting to the school too easily. There were protective wards on the castle for a reason. Why weren't they stopping him yet?

Just as this thought caught up to the instinctual side of his mind and Harry was allowed to bring his common sense out again, he slammed into the wards. He snarled in anger and tried to punch through the wards even as he screamed in pain as magic like electricity surged through his body and crackled visibly over his skin, singeing his bloodied iridescent wings.

The students screamed and scattered away from him as the wards began to fluctuate and his own magic fought against them, his runes coming to life from his wrists to rewrite the wards without conscious thought. Hagrid quickly sent the children running towards the school and then raced into his hut and came back out with a large crossbow. He aimed it at Harry's heart and Harry's eyes widened in fear. Aurelius had been right. They all saw him as nothing more than a monster. They'd never accept him as he was.

"Hagrid," Harry pleaded breathily even as a deep warning growl came from his throat. "Please… It's me. Harry. H-help me. Help me."

Hagrid stared at Harry wreathing against the wards, and then slowly he lowered his bow with wide eyes of shocked recognition. The wards finally collapsed under Harry's assault and Harry fell to his knees, breathing heavily. His eyes darted away from Hagrid as he saw several staff members with wands out, running down the lawn towards them, Dumbledore among the few.

"'Arry," Hagrid whispered as he cautiously moved towards him and Harry's eyes snapped away from the others and back to the man, who was looking at him with a mixture of fear, worry, and determination in his eyes.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and with difficulty, forced his senses to focus on anything but the sound of his old friend's beating heart. Harry had never considered it before, as he forcefully pushed the bloodlust to the back of his mind, but if he were any other Vampire, had not gone through this before, he likely would have killed them all by now.

Harry slowly opened his eyes again, he felt barely in control, but it was enough. He wouldn't be able to hold the Blood Rage back long, but maybe it would be long enough to convince them not to kill him. He looked up to Hagrid still inching towards him.

"Don't come near me," Harry warned harshly. "I've been drained. I cannot control myself for long," he pleaded hoarsely.

Hagrid stopped his advances. Harry didn't want to hurt the gentle half-giant, but he was quickly losing control again. He was strong, clearly stronger than he knew, but even he would succumb to the Rage eventually and he desperately feared what would happen when he did.

Hagrid narrowed his eyes as Harry again looked towards the other Professors and then he raised one hand behind him, to halt the other Professors' movements, while still keeping his full attention on Harry. "Professors, don't come any closer," he ordered gruffly. "Professor Snape," his said, his eyes still not leaving Harry's. "In my cabin, yeh'll find several vials of blood restorative, please get 'em all."

Snape glared at Hagrid, probably wondering what the other man could possibly be thinking, before his eyes widened as he looked at Harry and Harry glared right back, his near crimson eyes meeting the Potion Master's onyx ones. Snape didn't seem to recognize him, but he clearly recognized what he was and Harry was surprised as he quickly swept away and into Hagrid's cabin. Harry watched him disappear into the cabin and wondered in the back of his mind, if any of them knew.

Harry's muscles started to seize painfully and he felt his control slipping away. Hagrid noticed this and raised his crossbow again. "Don't move. I don't want to shoot yeh."

Harry growled deeply in response, but did as Hagrid commanded, even the instinctual side of him knew the danger he was in. It didn't stop his mind from constantly calculating and recalculating to see if he could get at Hagrid's throat before there was an arrow in his heart, and he hated himself for it.

Snape finally returned, and making sure not to get too close, he tossed the vials so they landed softly in the grass at Harry's bare feet. Harry glared in disgust at them, everything in him revolted against the very idea, but he knew that he wasn't about to get Human blood without being killed first. This was his olive branch, and he entirely intended to take it.

Harry snatched up the vials and uncorked three of them. He downed the contents in only a couple of gulps and tossed the empty vials aside with a disgusted hiss. He closed his eyes as the Rage subsided, but he was still very hungry. He growled quietly at the other three vials in his hand. Blood restoratives were horrible tasting for Vampires and they didn't work very well as the blood was not real blood, just simulated it with a touch of Dragon's Blood. Harry uncorked and downed the other three before he stood slowly, tossing the empty vials aside. He suppressed his fangs to show that he was no longer a danger to them. Though he was sure that his eyes were still slightly tinted red, he was no longer seeing the red haze over everything.

Hagrid slowly lowered his bow and cautiously walked towards Harry. "Who did this to yeh?" he asked gruffly, Harry knew he didn't mean getting drained.

"My Master, My _Father_," Harry answered. "I disobeyed him, it was my punishment."

Hagrid frowned. "That's not what I meant…"

Harry shook his head and smiled sadly. "I know what you meant, Hagrid, and I cannot tell you yet or I will be killed," he said quietly. Harry looked to the other professors. All of them had their wands raised at him, all but Snape, who was oddly looking at him in sympathy, or maybe pity. Either way, Harry didn't want or need it. "Hello Professors, don't you recognize me," Harry said calmly.

All of them narrowed their eyes at him clearly not recognizing him yet, but as his eyes settled on Dumbledore's, willing the man to see him through his new features, the man lowered his wand. "Harry," Dumbledore whispered sadly and walked slowly towards him, stopping next to Hagrid.

"I wanted to contact you again, but Father intercepted your letter and forbid me from doing so. He punished me when I told him I went against my oath to him." Harry began to walk towards Dumbledore. "I heard about the attacks, the creatures Voldemort has, they…" Harry's breath caught in his throat and he stopped abruptly when his muscles stretched and reopened the barely healed wounds on his back. Harry hissed shakily as he touched one of the still bleeding slashes that crossed over his wings. His hand came back covered in blood. He did not want to see what his wings looked like and he couldn't hide them until they were fully healed.

"You're bleeding," Dumbledore stated, worry in his eyes.

Harry stared at the blood on his hand. "I told you, I was punished," he murmured. His mind was going over the possible curses Aurelius could have used to make his Vampire healing abilities not work properly. Harry rolled his eyes and cursed his father under his breath as he realized which one it could be. Harry looked up to the headmaster. "As much as loath to ask this, I need blood, Human, or I am going to bleed out again and the Blood Rage will take over."

"Your Master used a curse to stop your natural healing abilities?" Snape questioned quietly. Harry nodded warily. There was a glint in the man's eyes that Harry was uncertain of. "Come with me, you can have mine, I have given to Vampires before."

Harry stared at Snape in surprise for a moment and then looked to Dumbledore who shockingly nodded his acceptance. Harry hesitated as Snape started to walk away and then he followed his old Potions professor up the lawn. Harry didn't look back at the other professors as he left with Snape. He didn't want to see in their eyes what they thought of him. Dumbledore, right now, may be all right with him, but he might only be holding his judgment until Harry was in complete control of himself. Aurelius may yet be correct about the Wizards. Harry sincerely hoped he wasn't for the sake of not only him, but the Clans.

Harry followed Snape into the dungeons of Hogwarts, through a side door he hadn't known existed. It was very smart of the Potions Master to lead him this way, then through the main entrance and possibly passed hundreds of students. Then again, Snape always did have more common sense than anyone else in Hogwarts.

Harry nearly stopped as an almost overpowering smell came to his nose when they turned a corner in dungeons. He never would have noticed the tang on the air as a student, but as a Vampire it was overwhelming. It was the smell of blood. It wasn't fresh, in fact it was very old, but distinctly Vampire, Born Vampire if he wasn't mistaken. Harry was rather unnerved by that, but even more so as they appeared to be getting closer to it.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Snape's back and was about to demand where they were going when Snape suddenly stopped. They were in a corridor Harry had never been down and they'd stopped outside of a tapestry that wasn't on the Marauder's Map.

Snape whispered a password in barely audible Welsh. The only reason Harry knew it was Welsh was because Aurelius often conversed with Terin's father in the language. Harry had taken it upon himself to learn the language, if only to listen in on his father's conversations with the other Elder. He was still working on it, but the word Snape used was roughly translated as "trust," though Harry could be wrong, he'd been wrong when it came to the language before. Harry smirked slightly as he remembered when he'd first started with the language. He'd tried to call Terin beautiful and ended up calling her a rotten fish. Harry almost chuckled at how sore he'd been when she was through with him, but stopped himself as the tapestry rolled up and a door was revealed behind it.

Snape opened the door and walked inside. "Come, sit down," Snape order as he disappeared through another door.

Harry walked in, glancing down the hall as he did so. He shivered as his mind suddenly flashed with a memory of pain that was not his own. What had happened down there? Harry shook off the phantom memory and closed the door behind him. He would discover what it was later; right now he had more pressing concerns.

Harry took the opportunity to look around while Snape was gone in another room. All the signs were there open for anyone who knew what to look for. Did Dumbledore know then, or was he as oblivious to it all as Harry had been before he'd been turned and learned of them. The decorative weaponry that while looked harmless, was razor sharp and very practical, the silver cutlery and wooden decorative pieces that served more purpose than just ambiance. And above all, the most obvious, the Covenant book that Harry knew listed all of the Vampire and Werewolf Clans to date. Was he in it?

Harry hesitated only a moment before he moved across the room and reached out to the lone book, sitting harmlessly above the mantle. His fingers just grazed the stiff leather cover when the fireplace came to life and Harry had to leap back or get burned as the flames shot out at him.

Snape gave a dark chuckle from a doorway behind him. "I would not touch that if I were you."

"Do they know?" Harry asked without turning around as he still stared at the book. It was rumored that the Covenant Tomes could not be touched by a Vampire and as Harry surveyed the gold glow that swirled around the book, he was inclined to believe it so. Though he was curious to know which side of the man's family held the Covenant line, the Wizard Prince or the Muggle Snape.

"Albus knows, the others are oblivious, as they should be," Severus said casually, though Harry could feel his eyes taking in the damage done to his back and wings.

"Was it your mother or father?" Harry asked, turning around so the man couldn't see his wounds anymore. For some reason it made him uncomfortable.

"My mother's, she imparted the knowledge, oath, and the Mark on me just before her death. You knew what I was the moment you laid eyes on me didn't you? I thought only Born Vampires could sense the Mark."

Harry growled lightly. "I am a Born Vampire, sort of. Father and the Elders performed a blood ritual on me. Like my turning I had no choice," Harry said bitterly, and to think not long ago he'd felt honored to be Aurelius' Heir, and in some small respect, he still did and probably still would once he was able to process all of this. After all, it wasn't Aurelius who'd betrayed him, but the other way around.

Snape nodded in grim understanding. "So which one are you? Zanothe, Daminion, Makah?"

"I am the Lord of Saleio," Harry said coolly.

"So Aurelius has finally taken an Heir, yet the book has not been updated," Snape whispered to himself as he moved to the book and opened it. He flipped through its pages, stopping on a page that had a Clan tree on it, the Saleio Clan. Harry moved cautiously forwards, his curiosity piqued. "You are not in here," Snape said with clear confusion in his voice.

"Does that mean that you will not try and kill me then?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Severus Snape turned with a glint of power in his eyes. "Who said anything about try?" Harry took a step back, instantly on guard and his smirk wiped off his face. Snape smirked. "Relax, Potter, if that is still your name, if I were going to kill you, I would have done so the moment I laid eyes on you."

Harry relaxed, but only slightly, he'd never let his guard down completely around Snape, Slayer or not. "So, do Covenant Slayers often let Vampires feed from them?" Harry asked, taking in the rest of the room.

"Not normally, no," Snape said as he produced a gold goblet and a sharp dagger.

"Ah, of course not, would not want to take the risk of being turned," Harry sneered. "Not that I would ever turn anyone. I would drain them dry before that," Harry said seriously.

"You do not approve of being a Vampire?" Snape asked as he sat and without so much as a flinch, slit his wrist open and let the blood flow into the goblet.

Harry could feel his hunger grow and his fangs elongate as he watched the blood. He forced his eyes away. "The power I have obtained is incredible. The speed, strength and grace, is entertaining, and the pleasure of feeding is absolutely intoxicating," Harry said succulently as he pulled a chair away from Snape's book and parchment covered table. He spun it around and sat backwards on it, next to Snape. "But I would not wish it on my worst enemy."

"So the boy wonder has yet to find anyone to worship the ground he walks on among the Vampire population? Miss your fan club, do you?" Snape mocked.

Harry snorted humorlessly. "Believe me, Snape, I have plenty to worship the ground I walk on, but I miss Hogwarts, I miss my friends, hell I even miss the Dursleys on occasion. But I love my Clan, I cherish my brothers and sisters, and I am sorely regretting betraying them."

Snape stopped the bleeding and closed the wound at his wrist with a flick of his wand. "I must admit, it is rather surprising that you miss your relatives, seeing as you _killed_ your uncle," Snape sneered, looking up at Harry's eyes.

Harry looked down at his hands, away from the Potion Master's accusing gaze for a moment, and then he looked back up again with no regret in his eyes. "You are correct, I did. But it was an accident that I had no control over."

"So you say, Potter, yet you ran away, and now here you are, a Vampire," Snape spat.

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head. "I panicked, horrified at what I had done, and I fled," Harry said through clenched teeth, annoyed that he was being forced to defend himself because of a stupid accident. He looked back up at Snape again. "The truth is I was on my way to the Burrow, not really having anywhere else to go. I could see it. I could see Mrs. Weasley through the kitchen window, Remus at the door, when I was attacked. I did not even have time to scream for help before Aurelius had bitten me."

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry and then handed him the goblet. "I suppose the truth matters little," he said as he stood and moved away. "You are a killer now anyway."

Harry clenched the goblet in his hand as he looked down at the swirling crimson blood. "I am not a killer," he whispered and then gulped down all of the crimson liquid in one breath. Harry set the cup down on the coffee table and shivered as the blood rushed through his starved veins. He closed his eyes as pleasure washed over him.

Harry hadn't known what to expect from Snape's blood. He'd had all kinds in the last year and found to like Wizard and Witches blood more so than Muggles, as there was more power in it, more magic. Vampire blood was like chocolate, but did little for him. Elder blood was intoxicating and overwhelming. But he'd never had untainted true Slayer blood. It arouse his senses, and energized him. It was blissful. He'd never had anything as pleasurable and calming.

Harry could feel Snape's eyes on him as he relished in the blood flowing through him. Harry opened his eyes and stared at the man hungrily. His bloodlust screamed for more, but Harry denied it. Anymore and Harry would become drunk on Snape's blood, and a drunk Vampire was not a pretty sight.

"Enthralling, isn't it?" Snape asked with a whispered voice.

Harry smirked. "You have no idea."

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	15. Trust Me

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Fifteen – Trust Me

It took a while for Harry to come down off the euphoria of Snape's blood and trust himself enough to move around without pouncing on his old Potions professor, which in itself wasn't such a disgusting thought as it had once been. Snape certainly had a dark and dangerous allure to him, which was a turn on to any Vampire, even if the man wasn't as handsome as some he'd seen. Harry had to strongly remind himself that this was Severus Snape, ex-Death Eater and one of his personal tormenters for five years of his life. Never mind that the man was a Covenant Slayer.

Harry retreated to Snape's bathroom to clean himself and make sure the damage to his wings, shoulders, and back were healing correctly. He had been afraid the magic Aurelius had used would damage the muscles in his wings permanently, but they seemed to be healing fine.

After they were mostly healed and cleaned, Harry stretched them out as best as he could in the small space and looked at them in the mirror to make sure he hadn't missed any blood, which was easy to see on his silvery black wings. Harry smiled as the starry color shimmered over them as he shook them dry. He was always amazed by the color. He'd thought they'd turn black like his father's were. Aurelius had thought the same, but surprisingly they'd retained the dark silvery iridescent sheen…

Harry suddenly froze as he stared at his wings, at the color. They were the same as always, and that was what caught his attention. They were the same color as liquid Dark Silver, the exact same color. He'd never noticed it before.

A knock came at the door and Harry jumped slightly. "Are you about finished, Potter?" Snape asked through the door.

"I will be out in a moment," Harry said distractedly and then concentrated to make his wings vanish, but they wouldn't go.

He frowned at them. He'd never injured them before, maybe they had to be completely healed before he could retract them. This was going to make dressing difficult. He doubted the shirt Snape had grudgingly loaned him would fit over his wings without adjustments. Harry walked out of the bathroom and leaned on his elbows against the back of the couch.

"Do you happen to have a different shirt I could borrow?" Harry asked. "I would hide my wings, but they are still injured and won't budge."

Snape looked up from his book, a potions text not surprisingly. "Nothing that would work with your wings," he answered, really taking in the details of Harry's wings for the first time.

Harry shrugged and turned away as the man continued to stare at them. "I thought not," he said as he looked around the room.

He turned back quickly. Snape had clearly been in the process of reaching out to touch his wings. He'd pulled his hand back fast enough for a Human not to notice, but not for Harry. "What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"I've no idea what you're talking about, Potter," Snape denied quickly and went back to reading his book.

Harry shook his head and decided to ignore Snape's action for now. "Right, could I borrow your wand for a moment?"

"You don't have one?" Snape asked in surprise.

"I haven't used one in over a year, not since the night I was turned. And I've not learned how to conjure anything solid, but shields with my runes. Technically, I am not even supposed to have them yet. And I would have to have much more of your blood to conjure something permanent without a wand."

Snape's eyebrows rose. "You have your runes already? But you cannot be more than a Novice yet by Lel standards."

Harry smirked. "Mage Prior, actually, shocked the hell out of the Masters and Priors when I conjured my runes during my challenge. Surprised I won really, seeing as I had never really used them before, and I was up against my father."

Snape stared at him for a long moment. "I understand now why Aurelius made you his son," he said seriously, as he put his book aside. "He would only choose who he thought was the most powerful for his Heir."

Harry shrugged, but ignored the comment. He didn't want to get into the fact that Aurelius had chosen him long before he'd become a Vampire. "So, can I borrow your wand?"

"No," Snape said and raised his wand at Harry. Harry tensed as black material appeared and wrapped around his torso, forming a sleeveless shirt that laced up the back, much like his own shirts that he used when his wings were exposed.

Harry looked down at it, twisting to see the mobility of the soft leather fabric. "Nice, but I should warn you never to point your wand at me again, Slayer," Harry said seriously, with a dangerous growl. He took in a deep breath, he hadn't meant to snap, but he didn't like feeling threatened, even superficially. "Now, I believe Dumbledore probably wishes to see me," he said walking towards the door.

"Indeed," Snape said, putting his wand away not seemingly bothered in the least by Harry's threat. He looked at a clock on one of the many bookshelves. "However, it will have to wait, it is Halloween after all, and he is expected at the Feast in a few moments."

Harry stopped and looked back at the man. "Great, I can make my dramatic entrance then." With that said and before Snape could stop him, Harry stepped back as if he was going to disappear and then laughed at the look on Snape's face. "Relax Snape. I don't believe the population of Hogwarts needs to know about day-wandering Vampires just yet, they're already going to have enough speculation over me almost eating the third years."

"Fourth years," Snape absently corrected as he glared at Harry as if the Vampire was going to disappear at any moment.

"Right, you really thought I was going to do it, didn't you?" Harry said with an amused smirk.

"I've learned to expect anything with you, Potter," Snape sneered.

"Good," Harry stated and then disappeared for real, leaving Snape staring at the empty space he had just been.

With an irritated sigh, Snape stood, grabbed his robe from the cloak rack by his door, and followed after Harry, praying the boy didn't do anything rash before he could get to the Great Hall.

...

Harry appeared not a moment later in Dumbledore's nearly empty office. Nearly empty only because there was a baby Fawkes perched behind Dumbledore's desk. Harry walked over to the bird and pet the fledgling with the tips of his fingers. Fawkes nuzzled his fingers back and trilled calmingly and Harry smiled down at him fondly. He'd missed Fawkes.

"Well at least I know you aren't completely evil." A hard voice came from behind Harry and he spun around, unconsciously blocking the baby phoenix with his wings from the wand that was now pointed at him. "Who are you… what are you, and what are you doing in the Headmaster's office?"

Harry stared for a moment and then he took a hesitant step forward. He wasn't afraid, but he was uncertain of the man's reaction. "I'm hurt, Remus, I thought you of anyone would recognize me instantly. If not by my scent, by my eyes," he said calmly, staring into Remus eyes, willing the man to see him passed what he was.

Remus narrowed his eyes as he glared at Harry, and then slowly lowered his wand, though he didn't put it away. "Harry?" he asked in a whisper, both with hope and fear in his voice.

Harry smiled slightly and nodded. "Yes, it's me, Remus."

Remus took a step back and brought his wand up again, and Harry stepped back as well, uncertainly. "What is the password to the spare bit of parchment?" Remus demanded.

Harry smiled more at that. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good, is the password to the Marauder's Map, Remus, but you already know that, you did create it," he answered. Remus raised his wand further and Harry frowned. "Remus, it is really me."

"I know," Remus said coolly.

"Then lower your wand, Remus." Remus only glared at him. "Look, I know I'm different, but I'm not here to hurt you, if that's your concern," Harry said with a small laugh and took a step forward, but was forced to side step slightly as a cutting hex flew by him. An unconscious growl came from his throat as he looked down at his arm. He'd purposefully not moved at full speed so the spell hit him just enough to leave a bloody scratch on his upper arm that was healing before Harry even had the opportunity to fully glance at it.

"That coming from a murderer," Remus scoffed and Harry understood.

"I am not a murderer," Harry stated firmly as he raised his eyes back to the Werewolf.

"Sure, you aren't, and I'm sure every Death Eater says the same thing before they go out and kill another, and another!" Remus all but snarled.

"Remus, please, it was an accident. I know I ran, and perhaps I shouldn't have, but I panicked. I didn't know what else to do, but run to the Burrow," Harry tried to explain.

"An accident, really, and you just thought, what, that you'd come back and finish the job, claim accident again and all would welcome you back with open arms, because of who you are."

Harry stared at Remus in confusion. "Remus, what are you talking about?"

"Your aunt and cousin were found dead this morning in their house, and now here you are," Remus stated coldly and Harry's confusion turned into shock.

Harry shook his head. "I promise you, Remus, it wasn't me," he said calmly, figuring that in this situation it was best that one person kept a level head, but apparently he was being too calm as the next second he was forced to block a curse with his runes. The curse sailed clear over Remus' head, but the Werewolf ducked anyway.

"This is how you honor your parents' memory? Killing your family and now your friends!" snarled Remus and he sent another curse, which Harry effortlessly blocked again, even though this one was much more powerful than the first and left a large gash in the stonewall as it hit it.

Harry growled as he was again forced to block another nearly lethal curse. He'd just about had enough of this. He didn't fancy hurting Remus, but he didn't know what else to do. Harry focused on a rune that would hopefully only knock the Werewolf senseless. He was seconds from releasing it when the door to Dumbledore's office suddenly banged open and Snape swept in hurriedly, shortly followed by Dumbledore.

"Here you are, Potter –" Snape began, but was cut off by Dumbledore.

"What is going on here?" Dumbledore demanded. "Remus, lower your wand. Harry – lower your hand."

Harry easily released the rune he was forming to flow back into his wrist and dropped his hand. "Hello, Headmaster, it is only a misunderstanding, I assure you," Harry said calmly, even as Remus glared at him and remained with his wand still in hand, though he had lowered it. "Remus seems to believe I killed my family this morning, only I was not even in the country until no more than an hour and a half ago."

Dumbledore looked to Remus for an explanation. "Petunia and her son were found dead in their home this morning by Ministry officials after magic was registered at their residence, Albus. There weren't any witnesses, nor was there a Dark Mark above their home. However, after Aurors investigated, they discovered dark magic had been used in their deaths." Remus explained, never taking his eyes off Harry. "Tonks was able to alert me a short while ago and I came straight here to tell you, and found him here."

"He arrived here an hour ago, where he was before, I do not know," Dumbledore stated as he looked at Harry questioningly.

"You don't seriously believe –" Harry began, but then cut himself off with a shake of his head. "I'm really sick of people not believing me." He pointed towards Dumbledore's Pensieve. "May I?"

Dumbledore nodded and Harry walked over to it. He looked down at it for a moment and then sheepishly looked over to Snape. The only one of the three he figured wouldn't turn on him instantly for the question. "I don't suppose I could borrow your wand?"

Snape rolled his eyes and then walked over to Harry. "I don't believe I need to tell you I'm not going to attack you," he stated as he lifted his wand and pointed it at Harry. He then placed his wand at Harry's temple, as Harry stood a bit stiffly.

Harry felt a tingling sensation as he focused on the memory of his day, being sure to note times where the date was either mentioned or seen, throughout the day. His mind was so organized now, that it only took a moment to gather the memories and then Snape was placing them in the Pensieve.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"It's amazing how easily one can gather their thoughts when their mind is perfect," Harry said plainly. "That is my entire day, from the time I woke up, to now."

Remus moved to place his finger in the Pensieve, but Harry stopped him. "What?" he asked with a cool glare in his eyes.

Harry nearly rolled his eyes at the man, but stopped himself. One would think that Remus would be the first to give Harry the benefit of the doubt, given the man was also a dark creature and all. But then again it had taken twelve years and the appearance of Pettigrew for him to see that Sirius was innocent.

"I need an oath of secrecy that everything you see here will not be revealed to anyone until I say otherwise. Yours and my life could depend on it, and you too Headmaster," he added seriously, glancing at Dumbledore.

Remus narrowed his eyes at Harry. "What about him?" he asked, nodding to Snape.

Snape smirked. "I'm already under oaths far more powerful than anything the two of you could give," he sneered.

Remus looked at Snape oddly, but as Harry didn't dispute Snape's statement, he sighed and then conceded, giving his oath. Dumbledore gave his oath without complaint. Harry was pleased that the two men were still willing to see that he was innocent of at least this crime after asking for the oath. They both stepped forward, but Harry stopped them again.

Remus frowned. "What now?"

"Just remember that what you see in there has extenuating circumstances and whatever it may look like, I really wasn't trying to commit suicide. I honestly believed it was the only way to get through to them."

The two men glanced at each other and then touched the surface of the memory and vanished. Harry looked over to Snape who hadn't entered the Pensieve. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"Why would I be curious about how you spend your day, Potter?" he asked snidely.

Harry smirked. "I spent most of it in council meetings," he said simply and Snape stuck in his finger and disappeared as well.

Harry chuckled lightly, walked over to Fawkes, and picked the small bird up. "I think this could take a while," he said to the bird and then ruffled his wings to see if there was even the slightest ache. He smiled and then concentrated on them vanishing and they did this time, which was good, because it was hard to get comfortable with them in the way.

He looked around the room as he pet the top of Fawkes' head. The portraits were all feigning sleep as usual. The room didn't look overly different than the last time he'd been in it, though he did note that there were a few less knickknacks. Depending on how things went in the next few hours, he might have to think about replacing some of the ones he'd broken over a year ago.

After a while, Harry got bored of wandering around the office and plucking a book off the shelf, took a seat in Dumbledore's chair to await the others return. He propped his legs up onto Dumbledore's desk and with Fawkes nestled asleep on the back of the chair; Harry began to read, of all things, _Hogwarts a History_.

...

A couple hours later, found Harry, with his legs crossed and still resting on Dumbledore's desk, as he chuckled over the story of Deena the Goblin who tried to get into Hogwarts as a student in the late seventeenth century. She'd tried several different ways, including disguising herself as a Human with blood magic and bribing the headmaster with gold. The story said she disappeared shortly before what would have been her seventh year had she been accepted.

Harry wondered if her disappearance had anything to do with Lel taking notice of her magical talents. He'd read through at least fifteen other similar stories, all with magical creatures, some dark, some light, trying to get their way into what was supposed to be the most prestigious magical school in Europe. All ended in the same way, with the would-be student disappearing and never being heard from again. Harry did note that through the fifty or so stories he'd read so far, he had yet to come across a Vampire who'd tried to gain entrance into Hogwarts. He figured it probably had something to do with a Vampire being the founder of Lel and that the majority of the population of Lel were Vampires, well day-wandering Vampires at least. Night-walking Vampires didn't have any magic, so they weren't accepted either place.

Harry was just flipping to the next absurd story when the fireplace came to life and a blond Harry knew very well stepped out and dusted himself off with a disgusted look on his face. Harry didn't move an inch as Lucius Malfoy looked around the room muttering about the cleanliness of Dumbledore's fireplace and how the Headmaster should clean it more often.

"You know, I would not blame it entirely on the old man, he does after all, employ, what a hundred or so House Elves," Harry said with as much arrogance as he could muster, before Lucius took notice of him. He smirked lightly as the man jumped, drawing his wand from his black cane in the same instant as turning to Harry. Harry forced himself not to rise to the unspoken challenge.

Lucius stared for a moment, taking in his obvious Vampire features before seeming to collect himself and lowering his wand slightly so it was no longer pointed directly at Harry, though he did keep a firm grip on it. He was a smart man and knew that if Harry wanted to kill him, that he'd be dead all ready.

"Yes, perhaps you are correct in that statement," Lucius said calmly, though Harry could hear the slight waver in his voice. He was more than unnerved, good. "May I ask who you are and what you are doing in Dumbledore's office?" He asked carefully.

Harry smiled pleasantly, being sure to show off his fangs as he did. "Certainly," he said as he stood in one fluid motion. "I am Lord of the Vampire Clan Saleio and I am visiting."

"Visiting…" Lucius muttered as he kept his grey eyes on Harry as he moved around the room fluidly and placed _Hogwarts a History_ back on the bookshelf, three places to the right and two shelves down from where it was originally. "I have never heard of a Vampire Clan Saleio."

Harry's smile widened as he turned slowly back to Lucius. "No you would not have," he whispered as he sauntered towards Malfoy purposefully. "Now you have had your questions, perhaps you would not mind answering mine. What are you doing here, Mister Malfoy? You see the last I heard, you were on a one way trip to Azkaban Prison," he stated coldly, stopping not an arm's length from the Death Eater. Harry took great satisfaction in seeing Lucius stiffen and then take an uncertain step back.

"I was exonerated of those ridiculous charges," Lucius said uneasily, gripping his wand more tightly.

"Really, and whose pockets did you line to achieve that?" Harry chuckled lightly and then waved his hand dismissively at his own question, before Lucius could even begin to argue. "I suppose it matters little now, but you really should not have come here today." Lucius took another step back and before he had the chance to react, Harry had him pinned to the wall, with the wrist of his wand hand in a vice grip. "You are very lucky, Malfoy, that I do not purposely kill, even Death Eaters," Harry whispered into the man's ear as the blond tried to struggle against him. "However, I am in need of a meal, and I have no problems taking your blood."

Harry was millimeters away from sinking his teeth into Lucius neck when a spell hit his back. It was no more than a stinging hex, but Harry spun around regardless and then had Remus pinned to the opposite wall half a second later.

"You really should not have done that, Wolf," Harry snarled into the man's face, his hand glowing with power he didn't even know he'd called forth.

"Harry!" Dumbledore shouted in alarm and Harry abruptly released Remus to fall to the ground at his feet.

He stepped back away from the man and took a deep breath in to calm his instincts. He'd never had anyone stop him from feeding before, and this was a new experience for him. He supposed he did carry some traits of a newborn after all.

"That was stupid and you should know better," he said after he regained himself. "You are very lucky I'm not a typical Vampire, Remus, or you would be dead right now," Harry said with a certainty he felt to his very core.

"Duly noted," Remus said as he pushed himself carefully off the floor while rubbing at his throat.

Harry sighed. "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly.

"Just my pride, I'm fine," Remus said reassuringly, though he moved passed Harry a bit warily.

Harry smiled slightly, but was sad to see his old friend apprehensive of him. "You believe me?" he asked after a moment, looking at Dumbledore.

"Yes, we do," Dumbledore said as sat down at his desk.

"Well that is good. Perhaps then we can move on to the real reason I have come back." At this, Harry turned to Snape.

He figured it was best to get straight to the matter at hand, now that they had some idea what was going on. He didn't know how much time his father would allow him to remain here, before they sent others to retrieve him.

"You witnessed the council meeting, will you help?" Harry asked.

Snape stared at Harry for a long moment. "Unfortunately, I can only speak for myself, Potter. I have never had contact with others of my kind. I am not even certain there are other Covenants in the Wizarding world."

"There better be," Harry said seriously and with no small amount of fear in his eyes. "If there are no others, we are all dead."

"Surely, you cannot be serious, Harry," Remus said staring at Harry. "I can't say I know enough about the current situation with these Prowlers, but your elders looked to be more than a match for the ones we've seen."

Harry glanced to Malfoy, who was paying rapt attention before he hesitantly spoke. "I've faced a Prowler, two of them actually. The first… he was so strong, so powerful… it took him draining me to a full gone Blood Rage for me to kill him, and that was after he'd held me captive for several days, in which I tried to escape only once and dared not try again. The second, I didn't even have time to think about attacking her before she'd fully taken control of my mind. She could have made me do anything and I would have done it."

"You are still a newborn, nothing compared to your elders," Snape stated.

"Josef, my father's brother, told me that I am more powerful than Aurelius," Harry said reluctantly. He'd left that part of his memories out. "I don't know if I can believe that, but if it is true… Aurelius is one of the most powerful Vampire Elders," Harry said firmly.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	16. What is Right, What is Easy

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Sixteen – What is Right, What is Easy

The room was silent for a long moment, as they all stared at Harry. Severus finally turned to Dumbledore with unease. "Albus, if what he says is true, and with what he has shown us…"

"I am aware, Severus, unfortunately I see no other option," Dumbledore said regretfully and clearly avoided Harry's eyes as he turned to address Malfoy, who was staring at Harry with something akin to trepidation in his eyes, he was also clearly confused.

"Yes, Lucius, this is Harry Potter," Dumbledore confirmed unnecessarily.

Harry glanced at the blond suspiciously, as the man, uncommonly from what Harry knew, remained silent. "You never answered my question, what are you doing here, Mister Malfoy, other than tempting me with your blood," Harry asked with a sneer, though he spoke truthfully, Malfoy's blood was tempting him more than he would have liked and he forced himself to remain by Dumbledore's desk.

Lucius' eyes shifted from Harry's to Dumbledore's and back. "I could ask the same of you. I was under the impression that Harry Potter was dead," he pointed out with as much dignity as he could.

Again his eyes shifted to Dumbledore and back and Harry could clearly see the question still in them. Harry assumed it was about the matter of his supposed death. Is that what everyone believed? Harry shook the question off for another time and ignored the odd glances for the moment in favor of playing with Lucius a little more. He didn't know why but he just couldn't resist ruffling the man's feathers, so to speak.

Harry smirked at the man. "No, I think I am more alive now than ever. Of course, I imagine that is in one's own perspective is it not? After all, I suppose you could say that I did die to become what I am. So yes, I believe, to that definition, I am dead." He flashed his fangs hungrily at Lucius again and the man took a step back, though Harry hadn't moved an inch. He was quite amused at how easy it was to unnerve the man and a bit unnerved himself at how much Malfoy's blood was tempting him. What was it about the man's blood?

"Potter, stop frightening Lucius, he's unfortunately, as you've no doubt guessed, on our side now," Snape sneered as he took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk.

Harry's smile turned into a frown. "Really and how exactly does that work?" he asked suspiciously, not taking his eyes off Malfoy. He couldn't fathom why a Malfoy would switch sides so easily.

"Lucius, some months ago, willingly gave us information about Voldemort that lead to the arrests of forty-two Death Eaters, in exchange for his name being cleared and his official release from Azkaban. He has also agreed to be a spy for both us and the ministry, in exchange for the protection of his son and wife, of course," Dumbledore explained simply.

Harry took a menacing step towards Lucius, glaring directly into the man's grey eyes. He didn't think Dumbledore was lying, but there was something he was missing, and Lucius was the one he was getting the feeling from the most. Harry couldn't quite understand the emotion he was sensing, but apprehension was certainly underlying it all. What had he done that he'd be apprehensive about in front of Harry? Because it wasn't just that Harry was lusting after his blood it was something else.

"And how do we know we can trust him?" Harry asked evenly after a long moment, though he added a slight bit of power and coercion in his voice. He'd not done this more than a handful of times, but it was the best way to tell if someone were lying.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Lucius countered, glaring coolly back.

Harry smirked at that and backed off. Lucius had a stronger mind then he let on. He certainly wasn't a man who could be easily coerced, well, at least not with low-level compulsion. "True enough," he said and then sat down on the edge of Dumbledore's desk. "Tell me Mister Malfoy, if you are so inclined to help us then. Do you know how Voldemort is creating the Prowlers?" he asked.

Lucius frowned and looked to Dumbledore again. "Creating? No, they came to the Dark Lord several months ago," he answered truthfully.

Harry blinked at that. "You are certain?" he asked.

"Yes, I was there. They offered him immortality for a price. I only thought he'd never be able to pay fully," he answered honestly.

Harry stood up as a feeling he'd not felt since... "What price?" he asked calmly, though a feeling of panic was starting to well up in him. He looked around at those in the room. Dumbledore, Snape, and Malfoy were all watching him carefully, and Remus had a look of confusion in his eyes. "What price?" he asked again, though this time there was power and a deep growl in his voice.

"Harry Potter," Malfoy said instantly, and then looked shocked that he'd said anything at all.

"What is going on?" Remus questioned, looking to Dumbledore in alarm. Dumbledore didn't even glance at the Werewolf as he was still staring at Harry intently and was now on his feet.

Harry suddenly let out a harsh laugh. "They asked for the one thing he'd never refuse, of course what a shock it will be when they realize Harry Potter and Lord Saleio are the same person." Harry fell silent as he looked away from the Wizards. The door opened behind him and he looked back up and smiled coldly. "This is a trap, and I've walked right into it," he stated simply, mostly for Remus' benefit.

"Unfortunately, for you, Lord Saleio, these Wizards value their lives greatly," a female voice came from behind Harry and he turned slowly to look behind him. It was the same woman who had trapped him in the Bloodletting Chamber with Josef, and now he was sorely regretting looking the Prowler in the eyes as he abruptly found that he couldn't look away.

"Albus?" questioned Remus again, standing from his seat, but Snape pulled him back down as he eyed the Prowler uneasily.

"We had no choice," Snape whispered to the Werewolf and to Harry.

"You threatened the school," Harry said with certainty in his voice, even as he felt his will to attempt escape leave him. "I don't blame you, Dumbledore," he said with forgiveness in his voice, as the Prowler held his gaze with her icy own. "Though I wish you had kept to your own words, of what is right, and what is easy."

"I am sorry, Harry," Dumbledore said regretfully.

The Prowler smiled and took a step closer and Harry found himself dropping to his knees against his will. "Lord Saleio, it is a pity you survived our last encounter, however also an advantaged. Had I known who you really were…"

"Then you would not have tried to kill me," Harry answered as he tried to pull his eyes away from hers.

"Yes," she said and ran her fingers lightly down his cheek, though unlike the last time she had done so, she didn't break his skin with her nails. "I hadn't realized then, that we were kin."

"I am no kin of yours," Harry spat and she grabbed the back of his neck painfully.

"Oh, but you are, Harry Potter," she said sweetly and then breaking her gaze with Harry, but still not releasing him, looked over to Dumbledore, who was now standing fingering his wand. Harry eyed the man uncertainly, and hoped the headmaster didn't have in mind to try and stop her. She'd kill them all in a heartbeat.

"We had an agreement, Sarae," Dumbledore stated.

"Indeed we do, Albus Dumbledore. Your children shall remain unharmed, so long as we can leave here, unharmed ourselves," she reminded and nodded to Remus, who was moving his hand towards his wand.

"Remus, please, stay out of this," Harry pleaded. Remus stared hard at him, but then relented and Harry was sure he did so, only because Harry had told him to.

"You and your companions are free to go, Sarae, as agreed. Though I would like to know, what you are going to do with him." Dumbledore said.

Sarae smiled again. "Since you asked so nicely, Albus Dumbledore, we are planning to turn him into one of us."

Every muscle in Harry's body tensed at that and the Prowler would have been dead, had he been able to move of his own free will. "I will kill you before then," Harry spat.

Sarae's hold tightened. "You will try," she said simply and then pulled him to his feet.

Harry found himself standing beside her, though what he wanted to do was flea. The others were watching him, probably waiting and hoping he'd do so, but he couldn't make his muscles move and seeing the look in their eyes, they were just realizing this.

Sarae moved her hand down from his neck and trailed her fingers down his arm. She curled her hand around his wrist. "Come, Harry, before they decide to do something foolish," she hissed and Harry had no choice but to go where she directed him. "Lucius go back to your lord and tell him he will get his reward tomorrow evening. Do not tell him what we are doing with Potter nor what he is, or your life will be forfeit, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Lucius said hesitantly.

Sarae stopped just as she got to the door. "Oh, and I would not be there when I turn your lord, just a warning," she said with a toothy smile and then pulled Harry out the door where two other Prowlers were waiting and they immediately placed a firm hand on both sides of his shoulders.

...

Harry hissed as he yanked hard again on the chains that held his wrists to the walls on either side of him. He was beginning to have an eerily familiar feeling, trapped as he was and at the mercy of a Prowler. At least they hadn't put him in a cage this time. Instead he was in a rather large and empty hall, with tall shuttered windows, lining both sides of the room and one massive wooden door at the far end. He assumed he was in a castle or old cathedral of some sort, as the walls were made of stone and the ceiling peaked with an organized design of large wooden beams, and evenly spaced hanging candelabras as the only source of light. But he couldn't say where he was for sure, as they'd taken a Portkey to get here.

It had been nearly a day since then, and Harry was just short of gnawing his own hands off to escape. He wasn't quite sure what the cuffs were made of, but whatever it was, it was resistant to magic, even from his runes, and the chains were crafted from Dark Silver, insuring he wouldn't be pulling on them too often. His hands were already raw red from his attempts so far and had stopped healing hours ago. Not that pulling on them had done any good.

Sarae was obviously confident that he had no chance of escape, as since they'd chained him here, no one had been back. Harry was now beginning to believe that his situation was hopeless. And what was worse, he didn't understand why they were doing this. If they had simply wanted to torture him to death for revenge of Djaq, then he wouldn't be so worried. Or even wanting him because he is the Lord of Saleio, he could understand, but wanting him as Harry Potter, that didn't make any sense, nor did Sarae calling him kin.

Harry looked up at the sound of the doors opening at the other end of the hall. Sarae was the first to enter, quickly followed by the two other Prowlers she'd brought with her to Hogwarts, but who came next, had Harry yanking unconsciously on the chains again, even as they burned his hands.

"Voldemort," he hissed. Harry wouldn't have been nearly as agitated had Voldemort, snake faced and all, come in just a day ago, but clearly, they'd already turned him. And the turning had done wonders for his appearance.

Voldemort let out a booming laugh as he saw Harry chained there. Harry could only stare at the Dark Lord. He didn't think he'd ever see Voldemort laugh, though it certainly wasn't light hearted. "Harry Potter is a Vampire!" He announced as if it were a grand surprise, and very nearly glided forward, until he stood directly in front of Harry. "I must admit, I'm shocked."

"Speechless I hope," Harry ground out as he glared back into Voldemort's now ice blue eyes.

Harry suddenly found his head whipped to the side as Voldemort backhanded him hard enough to crack his jaw. Harry growled and allowed his eyes to bleed red if only for the effect, as he tasted blood on his lips. He glared back at Voldemort and then let out a cruel laugh himself as Sarae grabbed Voldemort by the back of the neck and threw him away from Harry.

"He is kin," she hissed.

Voldemort stood fluidly from the crumpled and undignified heap he'd landed in, and then did something Harry never in a million years thought he'd see the Dark Lord Voldemort do. He bowed in submission. "Of course, Mistress," he whispered.

Harry couldn't help but laugh again, apparently the Dark Lord's will wasn't as strong as he'd thought. Harry stopped laughing abruptly as Sarae placed her hand gently on his slowly healing jaw.

"I wouldn't be so amused, dear Harry, soon you will be calling me Mistress as well," she whispered.

Harry deliberately glared into Sarae's eyes this time. "I barely call Aurelius Master, what makes you think I'll call you Mistress," he hissed.

Sarae smiled softly. "You will have no choice." She turned to the others. "Unchain him and bind him to the circle," she ordered as she stepped away. She stilled momentarily as if a thought suddenly came to her mind. "And make sure his wings are exposed," she added, smiling toothily at Harry.

...

Severus Snape paced his rooms, deep in thought. He had never agreed with Albus' plan of turning Harry Potter over to the Prowlers, even for the safety of the school. However, he had conceded with the plan as he thought, as most did, that Potter was lost to them after the murder of the boy's uncle.

When Potter had arrived at Hogwarts, clearly not a boy any longer, and a powerful Vampire Lord as well, he had let his Slayer instincts cloud his mind and had not spoken against Albus' summoning the Prowlers. But seeing the power the Prowlers had over the boy as he'd been forced to leave with them, brought into sharp clarity how powerful the Prowlers really were.

His Covenant book didn't have much information about the Prowlers in it. Only a short narrative from a previous Slayer from the time the Magical Covens had sided with the day-wandering Vampires against them. It spoke of their weaknesses but not of their strengths.

Severus stilled his pacing as there was a knock at his door. "Enter," he called out sharply, dearly hoping it wasn't one of his Slytherins having a bad day.

"Severus, we have to do something!" Remus said immediately upon walking through the door. "I don't like what he's turned into, I don't understand half of what's going on, but I certainly don't want to see Harry end up like those creatures."

"Neither do I," Severus stated without any argument whatsoever, which had Remus stop mid stride. "How would you feel about taking a little trip, Lupin?"

Remus stared for a moment. "Where are we going?" he finally asked.

"Germany," Severus stated. "But first, we need to contact a few people."

What Severus had told Potter about the other Slayers hadn't been entirely accurate. He had simply wanted to see the young lord's reaction before revealing the others, and it had been far from what he'd expected. The fear he'd seen in Potter's eyes had Severus almost coming clean with his lie, if only to reassure the young man.

"Well contact who you must, but hurry. That Prowler said that they were turning the Dark Lord tonight, and I have a terrible feeling Harry is next," Remus said and Severus nodded in agreement and then stepped over to the book on his mantle.

...

Harry tugged at the bindings keeping him bound to the center of the large circle of runes Sarae was drawing around him in blood, his blood. "You won't get away with this," he snarled angrily, from his knelt position, if only to cover his own fear. "If my Father doesn't find and kill you, know that I certainly will find a way to!"

Sarae laughed lightly as she finished the last rune and they each started to glow, one after another until the circle was complete. Harry felt pure magic shoot up through him briefly, and then he was left breathless and feeling weaker than he'd ever felt before. Harry leaned heavily on his hands to keep himself up, his arms shook under the effort, but he refused to collapse completely before these creatures.

"I am not sure if you know this, but there are two ways to make a Prowler," Sarae said as she circled Harry on the other side of the runes. "One way is much the same as the Vampires do," she said indicating the other two Prowlers and Voldemort, who was standing not too far away, watching with a cruel smirk on his lips. "Draining a mortal dry, a magic mortal, mind, and replacing their blood with ours. This of course creates a weaker Prowler, magically speaking. That however, is not how we came into existence. How I was born."

"You were a Vampire first," Harry whispered knowingly as he looked up at her. For some unfathomable reason, he'd already know the other.

"Yes," Sarae said with a smile as she stopped in front of Harry. "I was a Vampire first. I was born a Vampire, as was Djaq. We are the true Prowlers, the oldest and first of our kind. Djaq and I when we were still young had been cast out of our Clan for something our father had done and was killed for. In our travels in the years following, we met this Wizard, Cantus Taurean. He wasn't an ordinary Wizard, not like the basic woodland magic users of our region. He was powerful, he could manipulate the weather, had control over life and death, and the manipulation of pure magic was nothing to him. But he was getting old and he feared his death. So he asked us to change him. We didn't know what we were creating, Djaq and I…" Sarae trailed off in a faraway whisper.

Harry frowned. It was as if he'd heard this story before. But there was something missing. Something he knew that she didn't. He couldn't remember what it was, or why he knew it.

"But Cantus, he knew what he would become," Sarae went on smugly after a moment and started to pace around Harry again. "He knew he would keep his magic and will, and that the change would make him so much more powerful. However, when he discovered our weakness to Dark Silver, he knew he had to fix the problem, for the Dark Silver was what was allowing his power over the elements, over life and death...

"Djaq and I were his first experiment. He changed the Dark Silver with pure magic into a liquid and poisoned me and Djaq with it. He kept us alive, manipulating the Dark Silver in our blood until we built a tolerance to it. It took years for us to become fully immune. But to keep us regenerating in that time, we had to feed constantly. Eventually, it became second nature for us to always crave blood, and the amount of blood we were taking, began to change us. The symbols that appear on our skin, is the Dark Silver in our blood, still reacting to our Bloodlust," she said and made the swirling symbols appear on her skin, as if to prove her point.

"Eventually, Cantus wanted to refine the process of making Prowlers, as he named us, and began creating more and more, but he didn't count on our Bloodlust getting away from us. It was then that the Vampires, Wizards, and Magical Covens joined together to eliminate his creations. He hid us away, Djaq and I. He put us to sleep, and promised that he'd awaken us again when the Vampires had stopped hunting us. But he never came. It was a Muggleborn archeology student who stumbled across us and inadvertently woke us about ten years ago. Since then, we've been planning our revenge against the Vampires, but a few months ago we discovered that Cantus had a secret through a message he left us, an Heir, that he bequeathed all of his magical power to. Somehow, even though he was a turned Vampire, he'd figured out how to sire children."

A feeling of dread washed over Harry as Sarae came to stand in front of him again. She knelt down so she could stare directly into his eyes. "His child bore another and the one following another, until the Vampire gene was no longer dominant because the magic bequeathed overpowered it. Four more generations were born with the Vampire gene lying dormant and so too the magic, and then came a baby at the end of July, and when the Killing Curse struck him a year later, the dormant Vampire gene saved his life."

Harry shook his head. "No, it was my mother's sacrifice that saved my life!"

"If it makes you feel better, you can continue to believe that if you like, however, that doesn't mask the fact that you, Harry Potter, hold all of your ancestor's magic within you and with it the ability to really manipulate the Dark Silver and create more Prowlers, true Prowlers."

"You think that by turning me into one of you…"

"I can command you to use the power within you to create an army of us, out of the very Vampires who would have seen us killed, yes," Sarae finished with a laugh.

"You're insane!" Harry spit out.

Sarae stood. "No, that would be him," she said dryly, pointing to Voldemort, who growled at her, but didn't negate her statement.

"You can't turn me like you did him," Harry said weakly. "I'm a Vampire, if what you say is true, only Cantus can turn me."

"Which is why I need to make you Human again first," Sarae said simply and turned to one of the Prowlers, who stepped forward and handed her something Harry couldn't see. "But to do that, your father's precious gift will have to go," she said in mock sympathy.

Harry struggled at his bindings again, as he realized what she meant. His wings, they were going to cut out his wings. "No!" he shouted as she turned back with a large Athame floating above her hands.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	17. Too Late

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Seventeen – Too Late

Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Lucius Malfoy, appeared just a half a second before a crash of thunder sounded and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky. The three-cloaked men glanced at each other in bemusement of their timing, before as one they stepped out of the woods and onto the property of the Saleio Vampire Clan.

"Tell me again, Severus, why exactly we didn't tell Albus where we were going," Remus said uneasily as they walked slowly across the darkened property.

All three men had their wands out and at the ready. They weren't stupid enough to believe that their presence wasn't going to go unnoticed, nor did they think that they were going to be welcomed with open arms. They were Wizards after all and for all they knew their ancestors were directly responsible for forcing the day-wanderers into hiding.

"Because sadly, Lupin, Albus cares more about keeping the peace in this war than our necks," Severus answered, glancing over at the man as if that were clearly obvious.

Remus gave him an odd glance back, but it was Lucius who gave him his answer. "Honestly, Lupin, and they said you were the smart one of the Gryffindor Pack," he sneered. "Severus is Dumbledore's spy and only link to the Covenant Slayers. You are his liaison to the Wizarding Werewolf Clans and in his mind the only one keeping them neutral in this war. And I'm the only Pureblood with enough political sway and money to keep the Minister of Magic in check, not to mention I hold five seats alone in the Wizengamot. Do you really believe that he is going to just let us waltz into the Saleio Vampire Clan's home and most probably our deaths, only to save Potter?"

"When you put it that way, Malfoy, no he would have locked us all up for our own good."

"Which is exactly why we didn't tell Albus," Severus said and then looked to his two companions as they approached the front doors. "I'm rather surprised we haven't been accosted yet," he whispered and raised his hand to the large doorknocker. "Everyone ready?" he asked.

Remus and Lucius nodded.

"I really hope you didn't bring me on a suicide mission, Severus," Lucius muttered and Severus let the doorknocker fall a rather dramatic three times, dearly hoping the same thing.

The door was pulled open slowly and then there was a flurry of movement. Severus reacted on instinct, grabbing the Vampire's robes and forcing the man's balance off enough that when he pushed him to the ground, he hit it hard. He had a dagger at the Vampire's throat hardly a second later.

"If you know what is good for you Slayer, you will release my son," a woman's voice growled and Severus looked up to see Remus and Lucius both being held tightly enough to make struggling pointless and painful.

There were at least ten Vampires standing in the entrance hall, and at the front was the most menacing creature Severus had ever seen. He eyed the winged Vampire uncertainly and then he stepped away from the Vampire at his feet. The Vampire, Vantesh, Severus believed he was called from Harry's Pensieve memories, swiftly got back to his feet and glared at him as he stepped back into the group of other Vampires.

Severus hid his dagger quickly and held up his hands in a placating manner. "Lord Saleio," he said as he bowed uneasily. The three had decided before Apparating there that if the Vampires were to listen to any of them, it would be Severus, if they didn't outright kill him first for what he was that is.

"You are either very brave, or very foolish for coming here, Covenant Slayer," Aurelius hissed, taking a step towards Severus as the other Vampires stared stonily at him.

Severus recognized others from Harry's Pensieve memory. But it was much different actually being in their presence. It had been a long time since Severus had even been near a Vampire besides Harry, and these creatures were on a whole different level to the nightwalkers he was used to.

Severus straightened. "I am neither, and we are here against our better judgment," he said. "However we have news that affects all of us."

Aurelius narrowed his eyes at Severus and then at the other two being held on either side of him. "I know you, all of you. You are Wizards," he snarled.

Remus and Lucius eyed one another as Severus nodded. "Yes we are," he said simply. "And we bring news about your son."

"My _son_ indeed, and what news of him do you have for me?" Aurelius asked with anger in his voice. "And please be succinct, I am not happy with my son at the moment as I'm sure you are quite aware by now."

"He has been taken by Sarae, a Prowler," Severus answered slowly and then stepped back when Aurelius' eyes flashed dangerously and he let out a low growl. Severus uncertainly eyed Remus and Lucius who were as still as statues in the grasps of their captors. He was almost prepared to tell the other two to flee, to just activate the Portkeys they had on them, when Aurelius stepped forward to stand directly before Severus.

"And how exactly, did she get her hands on my son, Slayer?" he hissed lowly.

Severus steeled himself before he answered truthfully even though he knew it could cost him his life. "We gave him to her to protect Hogwarts."

Aurelius hand shot out and gripped around Severus' throat tightly. The other Vampires in the room growled at them. Remus and Lucius started to struggle again, but Severus shook his head as much as he could at them. There was too much at stake for either of them to start fighting back now.

"We had no choice," he hissed out. "She would have killed the children, all of us."

"Then you should have died," Aurelius growled.

"Yes," Severus admitted and Aurelius' grip loosened slightly, clearly caught off guard by the admission.

"I told him you Wizards would turn on him," Aurelius said with smug gleam in his eyes, "Just as you turned on us."

"We came here for your help," Remus spoke up brazenly even as the Vampire that held him tightened his hold. "We came here to help you. We know where he's being held, we know what's in store for him. We have a few willing to help, but we need more if we're going to get him back in time."

Josef stepped towards Remus, his eyes flashing. "In time for what exactly, Werewolf?" he asked with a hiss to his voice.

"They plan on turning him into a Prowler," Severus said tightly. "He will be lost to all of us if that happens."

"When are they doing this?" Terin questioned in alarm.

"Tonight," Lucius answered softly, his voice holding clear uncertainty in the face of all the Vampires, "After they turn the Dark Lord."

...

Harry lay curled in a tight ball in the circle of runes he was still bound to. He felt sick and he was shivering with fever, but he kept his mind carefully blank and his eyes closed, so he'd not dwell on what Sarae had done to him no more than a few hours before. He could feel his back still slick with blood, and the familiar pressure of where his wings should have been, was gone.

"How long do you think she'll keep him in there?" Harry heard one of the Prowlers ask from the other side of the hall. It was the first time anyone had said anything since Harry had stopped screaming.

"As long as it takes to make him Human," Voldemort answered with little emotion and Harry could hear him pacing not far from him.

"He looks half there already," the third Prowler said. "How does she know he won't die before then?"

"_If I had my way, he would be dead already_," Voldemort hissed.

"What?" the first Prowler asked.

"Nothing," Voldemort said nonchalantly, and continued pacing. Harry suddenly realized that Voldemort must have spoken Parseltongue and he wondered if he could use that to his advantage. Rile Voldemort enough to cross the runes and break the circle.

"_Then why don't you kill me_," he hissed breathily and Voldemort stopped.

"Believe me, Potter, I would if she would allow me," he said in English.

"_I cannot believe what the Great Lord Voldemort and Heir of Slytherin has been reduced to. Taking orders from a mad woman_," Harry hissed. "_I only take orders from my Sire when I feel like it, but apparently I am stronger than you will ever be_. _And to think you once thought us equals_," he scoffed.

"Soon we will be again!" Voldemort snarled angrily and the other two Prowlers looked at him oddly.

Harry laughed weakly. "_Really, do you honestly believe that? I, who hold Cantus' magic_," he laughed again. "_I, who killed Djaq and all of his creations_," Harry continued and forced himself into a sitting position. "I, who am the Lord of the Saleio Vampire Clan!" he growled. "You will never be my equal!" Harry spat.

Voldemort growled and just when Harry thought he was going to throw himself at him and break the circle, Sarae stepped into the room, and Voldemort backed down. Harry nearly collapsed in frustration, and glared at the Prowler as she came to kneel on one knee in front of him.

Sarae stared at him intently, her eyes raking over his shaking body, obviously looking for something. Her eyes shifted towards the door then back to Harry. "Damn it," she hissed angrily under her breath, and Harry frowned in confusion. She stood and turned to the others. "We are going to have company, Vampires and Slayers, far too many for all of us to handle, and I am not prepared to lose my army just yet," she stated and then looked back down to Harry. "Unfortunately, you are not Human yet and will only die on me if I remove you now," she said and then started to walk away.

"What?" Voldemort snarled. "You are not going to leave him here alive?"

"We have no choice, Voldemort," Sarae said sternly. She looked back down to Harry. "But be assured, Harry, you will be Human by the time they arrive, and I will come for you again!" she hissed and then swept away out the door, beckoning for the others to follow.

Voldemort stared angrily down at Harry for as long as he could resist his Mistress' silent command and then he too swept away with a furious growl. Harry watched him go and then collapsed onto his side. He stared at the glowing set of runes around him that were slowly taking his Vampirism from him and making him mortal.

Harry didn't know where Sarae had come up with such a spell, but he did believe that if he were removed before he was Human that he would die, he could feel it. At that moment, he didn't know which was worse, being Human again, or dying.

He did know that he didn't want to see the look on his father's face when he came for him and found a weak Human instead. Harry reached out his hand as far as he could stretch, but there was no use, he simply couldn't reach the runes. He curled back up on his side and closed his eyes to wait for the inevitable.

Harry didn't know if he fell asleep in the next few minutes – if it indeed had only been a few minutes – or if he was even awake now, but he opened his eyes at the feeling of someone leaning over him. Harry blinked twice at who he saw. "You've got to be kidding me," he whispered, not phased in the slightest. "Just great, I'm hallucinating myself," he laughed dryly.

"Your Human self," corrected the figure, who sat cross-legged next to him within the runes, wearing Gryffindor Hogwarts robes of all things. Harry could only stare up at him, taking in what he had been before he'd been turned. What he'd once hoped to be again, but now dreaded the thought. "Think of it as a psychological debate if you will. I'm here to help you remember your Humanity. It's all part of the spell and all in your head."

"I'm not going back to wearing glasses," Harry hissed weakly and the round black-framed glasses on his lookalike vanished.

"You're probably right, and you probably won't look like this either. But you will in fact be Human. You won't any longer need blood, Human food will be essential, and most things that hurt you, will kill you."

"You make being Human sound so grand," Harry muttered.

"I'm not finished. You'll have Human urges again, what you've done as a Vampire will probably sicken you, and compared to what you once were, you won't be able to think clearly ever again."

"If this really is all in my head, then you'll know that it wasn't that long ago that I was Human. I do still vividly remember it," Harry said to himself.

"Do you really? Okay, what was it like to treat everyone as your equal?"

"No one's ever been my equal," Harry stated, but he knew that wasn't true.

"Oh, all right, I'll give you that one. But, what was it like to have a craving for something other than blood, then?"

Harry stayed silent, he couldn't remember.

"Or something better, what was it like to feel weak?" His Human image shot at him.

"I feel weak now," Harry whispered back.

"And what was it like to feel normal?"

"I've never been normal," Harry said and his counterpart smirked.

"You are now."

Harry blinked again as his counterpart abruptly vanished and then he jerked to his knees as the glowing runes blinked out, one after the other in reverse to earlier, until there wasn't anything left but a blackened, smudged ring around him. And Harry felt, he felt Human. And God did it hurt.

Suddenly the doors at the end of the hall burst open and half a dozen people swept in, looking ready to do battle. The first person he recognized was Terin, the second was his father. He held his breath for half a heartbeat until Aurelius' eyes landed on him. His father's eyes narrowed and then he snarled and swept out of the room.

"Father," Harry cried in a hoarse and dry voice and tried to scramble to his feet to go after him, but between the weakness in his legs and the bindings still holding him down, it was impossible.

"Merlin, Severus, he's Human," Lucius Malfoy stated as the others just stared at him.

"Harry?" Terin asked taking a step towards him.

Harry could only nod and then he found himself with his arms full of the Vampire, which now that he was Human again, felt so much different to the last time he'd held her, she felt so hard and cold. Moments later, others were surrounding them and Harry was being released from the bindings and helped to his feet by both Remus and Terin.

"Harry, how?" Remus asked the one question that was on everyone else's faces as he held Harry up.

"Sarae," Harry whispered and then tried to cleared his throat. His mouth was so dry and he was so thirsty, he didn't think he'd ever been so parched before. Harry tried to moisten his dry lips with his dry tongue, but he tasted blood on them and nearly gagged at the taste.

"Here," Severus said and shoved something into Harry's hands. "Water," he answered to Harry's questioning gaze.

Harry took a small sip from the flask and found it to be the most amazing thing he'd ever tasted. He quickly started to swallow the rest of it, until he had to take a breath and then he choked and coughed as he breathed in the water.

"Whoa, easy," Remus said and took the flask from him. He pat him on his shoulder awkwardly, just now taking in the blood covering his back. "Are you hurt?"

Harry coughed a couple more times and then looked up into Remus' worried eyes. "She took my wings," he whispered looking away from all the eyes on him.

"You really are Human," Terin whispered.

Harry looked back up to his friend. "Yes, she turned me into a Human, some sort of runic magic, it took hours," Harry said all in one breath as he tried to order his thoughts.

Terin suddenly choked on a sob and threw her arms around him again. Not caring about the blood in the least. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she cried into his shoulder. Harry hugged her back, but it was almost as if she was barely touching him, obviously she was afraid to hurt him.

"We should get out of here before she decides to come back and contend with the Vampires," Severus said quietly.

"Yes, we'll bring you back to the manor and we'll fix this," Terin said and began to help Harry towards the door, but Terin's father placed a hand on her shoulder stopping her.

He shook his head. "He's Human, Terin," he said gently.

"So," she said stubbornly.

"He can't come back with us, he can't be turned again," Aeolian whispered and looked at Harry with regret and sympathy in his eyes.

Harry could only stare back numbly as he clung to Terin.

"What, but…" Terin tried and looked to Harry for help, but he couldn't help her, he was just as shocked.

"Come Terin, let the Human's deal with their own," Aeolian said firmly and pulled her away.

Harry fell back to his knees as soon as she released him and Remus caught him as he watched his best friend being pulled out of the hall and somehow he knew he'd never see her again. "Terin," he whispered and tried to scramble after her, but he was just too weak and then he was suddenly being pulled away by Portkey.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	18. Ability to Change

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Eighteen – Ability to Change

Harry paced the sitting room at Grimmauld Place. He'd been there for five days now, he'd been Human for five days, and in those five days he'd come to the conclusion that he hated being Human. He hated that it took effort to simply walk up the stairs, he hated that it was necessary for him to drink and eat, and he hated that his thoughts were such a jumbled mess all the time…

Harry turned at the sound of the door suddenly opening and stubbed his toe on the ottoman. "Ow, fuck, stupid son of…" he continued on with even more creative swears for a full minute, hopping up and down and rubbing his sore foot as Remus watched on, clearly trying not to laugh. "Oh, go on, laugh," Harry grumbled and sat heavily on the edge of the same ottoman that had just tried to maim him.

"I'm sorry," Remus chuckled. "I don't mean to laugh, really," he laughed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Right, so did you want something, or did you simply barge into my room without knocking to annoy me?"

Remus cringed. "Sorry, I'm not quite used to this being your bedroom yet."

Harry didn't comment, just waited for Remus to answer his question. When he'd arrived here, got cleaned up, and after getting his first meal being Human again, they'd shown him to one of the upstairs bedrooms. Harry had put his foot down at staying in any of them. He was sure to them he was seeming like a spoiled prince, but Harry simply couldn't abide sleeping in any of the tiny, dingy, enclosed, stuffy bedrooms. Even his room at the Academe was three times the size of the sitting room and way more open. None of the rooms upstairs let any kind of light in, if there was a window at all. At least in here he got some sunlight and he dreaded his most probable return to Hogwarts.

"I came to get you for dinner," Remus finally said. "And umm, Albus is here and he's brought company," he added carefully.

"Company?" asked Harry. Company wasn't too uncommon, Lucius Malfoy had been here a couple times, as had Severus Snape, Harry still couldn't believe he owed his life to either man.

"Ron and Hermione," Remus answered.

Harry quickly stood up and started pacing again. Ron and Hermione, his friends… Harry stilled, were they his friends? Could he be friends with them again? Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't deal with this right now. "Send them away," he said firmly.

"But, Harry, they are your friends and they want to see you."

"I said, send them away," Harry said with deliberate slowness, glaring into Remus' eyes.

"No, Harry," Remus stated, glaring right back.

"I order you to send them away!" Harry shouted into the man's face and then suddenly found himself pinned up against the wall with Remus' hand twisted in his shirt, holding him there firmly, but not painfully.

"Harry, you are not a Vampire anymore, you are only Human!" Remus growled, his eyes glowing slightly and Harry tried not to shrink back. "We let you get away with the room and chocked it up to claustrophobia. We've been lenient about Kreacher making all your meals and serving you, as frankly its better than him moping around, but we are not your servants! You can't order me, or anyone else to do anything, so get used to it!" he hissed and then released him.

Harry landed heavily on his feet and sagged against the wall. "I'm sorry, Remus, I didn't realize I was… I'm not used to… I'm sorry," he whispered shakily, looking at anywhere, but Remus.

"I'm not sending them away. I believe it will be good for you to see them," Remus said firmly and then walked out of the room.

Harry put his head in his hands and sighed. "What he must think of me," he muttered to himself. "I've turned into a bloody Malfoy," he snapped at himself, running his hand through his hair, and then left to follow Remus. He caught up to him just before the kitchen door. "Remus, look, I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"I know you are, Harry. And I know this is difficult for you."

Harry shook his head and pulled the man away from the kitchen door so he wouldn't be overheard. "I don't think you really do. What I've been through…" Harry shook his head again, trying to order his thoughts, wishing he could forget some things entirely. "When I first was turned, I thought, I couldn't live that way, all the luxury, the servants and _slaves_… No one was equal to me and I was expected to act a certain way and… I had no choice but to conform, they, Aurelius, he…" Harry closed his eyes at the memory of the servant girl he'd been forced to kill and tried to bite back his emotions, wishing they were as easy to push aside as they had been when he was a Vampire. He shook his head again and looked up. "Simply put, this, all of this, is going to take some time to get used to, all right. Just please, be patient with me."

Remus nodded, looking at Harry with concern in his eyes. "All right, it's all right, we'll get through this," Remus said reassuringly, squeezing Harry's shoulder comfortingly.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, and I really am sorry."

He knew that they'd all understand better if he only told them what he'd been through over the last year, but he couldn't. He didn't want to bring forth the memories of all he'd lost in being turned Human, all he'd done while being a Vampire.

"It's all right, really," Remus said again firmly and then sighed. "Come on, you're probably starving."

Harry looked down at his grumbling stomach sheepishly. "I am kind of hungry," he said with a half-smile. "So, umm, Ron and Hermione, huh?" he said biting his lip. "What do they know?"

"From what I have gathered, they don't know much. They know about the night you disappeared, but other than that… They certainly don't know you were a Vampire or where you've been for the last year," Remus answered softly as they approached the kitchen door again. "I think Albus has chosen to let you tell them what you want them to know."

"Well at least he's done something right," Harry muttered darkly and then entered the kitchen. Remus stared startled at him for a moment and then followed.

"Harry, there you are my boy," Dumbledore said, standing from the table with the customary twinkle in his eyes.

"Dumbledore," Harry said simply, as his only form of greeting, the only form of greeting he'd given the man within the last five days. He felt a small amount of satisfaction as he saw the twinkle die slightly. Harry may have forgiven the old man for turning him over to Sarae to save the students, but that didn't mean he didn't blame him for his current predicament. "Ron, Hermione," he said next, turning to the two who were now standing as well.

"Harry, wow, you've… grown," Hermione said haltingly, obviously not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, mate, you're tall, I mean really tall, and what's with the hair, trying to outdo Bill's look?" he asked with a slight nervous smirk.

Harry blinked at the two. He was tall, that was all they could come up with? Harry looked between the two and then sat down at the head of the table with a sigh. "I didn't murder my uncle," he stated. "So you don't have to fear me."

Hermione looked at Ron. "We didn't say anything about…"

"No, but you were thinking about it," Harry said simply and then snapped his fingers for Kreacher to serve them. The old House-Elf appeared and started fixing his plate in a second.

"You can read minds?" Ron blurted, as the two stared at the House-Elf that had never done anything for them when they stayed there, and Kreacher almost looked clean.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I can read facial expressions. And if I remember, Hermione is much more articulate in her greetings when she's not flustered and nervous." Hermione blushed and Ron looked away guiltily. Harry looked at Dumbledore and Remus, who were both silently watching. "Please, sit, eat," Harry said. "I feel like I'm on display," he muttered and picked up his goblet to take a sip. He frowned at the other empty plates. "Kreacher," he said softly.

"Yes, Master Harry?" Kreacher mumbled, looking up at Harry.

"We have guests." Harry pointed out the others, not looking down at the Elf. "We've talked about this, do you wish to displease me again."

"No, Master Harry, Kreacher is a good House-Elf. Kreacher is getting old. Kreacher is getting forgetful and stupid. Kreacher will do better, Master Harry, Kreacher will…" The House-Elf rambled on as he served the others at the table as they watched on wide-eyed and not knowing what to think. The Elf didn't even say a bad word about having to serve them and almost looked happy when he was done.

"Umm, Harry…" Hermione broke the silence that had fallen after Kreacher had disappeared out of sight, but she couldn't seem to finish her question or didn't know how to continue.

"mate, what's up with the House-Elf?" Ron finished for her.

"Kreacher needed a firm hand. I gave him one," Harry said simply and went back to his meal.

"You punished him!" Hermione exclaimed, appalled.

Harry looked up at her strangely. "No I allowed him to punish himself for his part in Sirius death. Serving me, and not allowing his head placed on the wall before he dies naturally, is my punishment for him."

"Ah, reverse psychology, a punishment that's not a punishment at all," Dumbledore said happily.

Remus shook his head as he glanced at Harry and Dumbledore's smile dimmed.

"No, if he displeases me, he will be punished further," Harry said seriously. "Kreacher, wine," he said, holding up his now empty goblet.

"You're drinking?" Hermione exclaimed, looking between Dumbledore and Remus. Ron too looked shocked that the adults were allowing it.

"It is not uncommon for a hum – a member of civilized society to imbibe on a glass or two of finely aged wine with dinner, so Lucius Malfoy tells me. Apparently, I am now head of the Black Household and therefore a high member of civilized society. I would offer you a glass, but they say no," Harry said and took a sip of his newly filled goblet.

"No they didn't," Ron said.

"But we would have," Remus muttered dryly.

"Malfoy?" asked Hermione in perplexity. "Is that who you've been staying with, the Malfoy's?"

Harry laughed shortly. "Good Lord no. He's just been here a couple of days this week, Order business, you know. He's been filling me in on Wizarding Etiquette. I think he believed it would help me adjust better, though I can't fathom why he'd care."

"Malfoy's in the Order?" Ron asked with shock clear in his voice, looking at Dumbledore as if he'd lost his mind.

"You didn't know that?" Harry said. "Oops," he muttered under his breath, with no apology whatsoever.

"Yes, Mister Weasley, Lucius Malfoy is a spy and part of the Order, but I expect that neither you nor Miss Granger will reveal that to anyone," he said, looking over his half-moon glasses at them sternly.

The two nodded and everyone went back to their dinner. "So umm, where have you been for the last year then?" Ron asked, finally breaking the silence again.

Harry glanced at Remus and Dumbledore for a moment and then looked back to Ron and Hermione, "Academe de Lel."

"Wait, academe? You've been at a Muggle school all year?" Hermione ask with a perplexed look on her face.

"No, Hermione, Lel Academy…" breathed Ron as he stared at Harry with awe in his eyes. "It's only the most prestigious school in the Magical World!" he exclaimed.

Harry rolled his eyes at his own thoughtlessness, of course Ron would know about the existence of Lel. Though it was easy for him to forget, Ron was a Pureblood after all. Harry should have just kept his mouth shut. He'd hoped neither would have had any clue.

"I thought Hogwarts was the most prestigious school in the Magical World?" Hermione said, looking at Ron oddly. "I mean it says so in _Hogwarts a History_."

"Hogwarts is the most prestigious and oldest school in the _Wizarding World_, Miss Granger," Dumbledore corrected. "The Academe de Lel, however, isn't a Wizarding School."

"But, Sir, I don't understand, I thought the only magical schools in the world were Wizarding schools."

"You are misconstruing the terms Magical and Wizarding, Hermione," Remus said gently. "The Wizarding World consists of Wizards and Witches. The Magical world consists of everyone else with magical ability, or so the Ministry decrees."

"Oh," Hermione said simply. She still looked a bit confused, which had Harry biting the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. It wasn't often that one saw that expression on Hermione Granger's face. "I always thought there were only the two worlds, Muggle and Magical… Never-mind," Hermione shook her head, with a resolved look. Obviously she was going to look it all up later. "So what exactly is this academe?" she asked eagerly.

"Lel is a Magic school," Ron said with a smile, clearly quite pleased that he knew something that Hermione didn't for once.

Hermione simply rolled her eyes at him and muttered, "Obviously," under her breath.

Ron went on, oblivious. "I can't believe you've never come across it with all those books you read," he said. "Anyway, it's supposedly run by many different Magical Creatures. No one really knows which ones, but it's the hardest school to get into, and you can only go if you're invited. Wow, Harry, you've really been at Lel? You must be the first Wizard invited, in – in at least a generation!" Ron said excitedly. "And you're not even a Pureblood!"

Harry bit down hard on his tongue and tried not to take offence to that. Obviously Ron still had some Pureblood bigotry in him. With someone like Malfoy, the bigotry was to be expected, so Harry let it slide, but Ron had no excuses. He may have grown up in a Pureblood family, but socially he wasn't a Pureblood.

"Actually there are currently two Witches and four – three Wizards attending the school, Gerick was killed during his third challenge of the year," Harry corrected in a nonchalant tone.

"Killed! What kind of school is this?" Hermione asked, looking a bit sick. "And I don't understand why I've never heard of it. If it's so prestigious, shouldn't I have at least heard someone at Hogwarts talk about it?"

"Oh, you've heard of it, I know you have. It's that school Draco Malfoy's been ranting about since fifth year," Ron said and then turned back to Harry. "I've heard the school was dangerous, but a student really died?" he asked. Harry only nodded, but didn't elaborate. The school was secretive for a reason.

"The one he and Theodore Nott swear they're going to get an invite too?" Hermione blurted.

Harry laughed at that, he couldn't help himself. "Right, a Malfoy at Lel? I can just see that. He wouldn't survive a week. If the classes didn't kill him, the students certainly would," he scoffed and raised his glass for Kreacher to fill again.

"Harry, I think you've had enough," Remus said lightly.

"When I've had enough, Remus, I'll stop asking for more," Harry said back quietly, not even glancing at the Werewolf. Remus sighed, but didn't push the matter and Dumbledore frowned at him from across the table.

Silence fell over the table, but Harry pushed it aside. "I know you must have other questions. I won't answer all of them, but I'd rather get off the subject of Lel if that's all right."

"Right," Ron said and looked to think for a moment. "So, umm, you've changed a lot. I mean if Professor Dumbledore hadn't warned us ahead of time… I guess I was just wondering how? I mean you really haven't been gone all that long, mate."

Harry stilled in his seat, he just had to ask the hardest question to answer without arising more questions. "A ritual," he said finally, not looking at either of his friends, as he remembered the experience quite clearly, but now through his Human understanding. He forced aside a shiver as he continued. "My… the Headmaster of Lel, he made me his blood son."

"A blood ritual then?" asked Hermione with interest. "I've read about those in the Restricted Section. But aren't those illegal, and they're so dangerous… you – you could have died!"

Harry simply shrugged. It wasn't like he could say, "no I couldn't have, I was immortal," without raising suspicions. "I'm sure he knew what he was doing, and nothing's illegal at Lel, it being outside of the Wizarding Government and all," he said with a frown.

"But how could you just let him –"

"Hermione, maybe we should leave this subject behind for a bit too," Ron interrupted looking at Harry uncertainly. "Play any Quidditch while you were gone?" he asked abruptly and Harry gave him a small smile at the sudden change of subject. Perhaps Ron had grown some in the last year.

"Unfortunately no Quidditch, but I did get some flying in," Harry said, trying to sound at least a bit lighthearted, but he was severely missing his wings and the two scars he had in their place were very sore reminders of what he once had, what he'd once been.

"Yeah, well that's good, about the flying anyway. Umm, I was made Quidditch Captain while you were gone and… oh yeah, Hermione's Head Girl now," Ron said happily and Hermione blushed at the praise in his voice.

Harry's smile brightened. "That's good and Head Girl, no surprise there really."

Silence fell over the group again and it was Dumbledore who broke it this time. "Speaking of Head Girl, Miss Granger, I was hoping that you'd be willing to help Harry settle back into a Hogwarts routine in a few days. Help him get caught up on classes and such."

"What?" Harry asked, his voice rising slightly. "I have not agreed to return to Hogwarts!"

"But Harry, my boy, you haven't finished your education yet, where else are you going to go?"

"Lel," Ron said, looking at Dumbledore as if he'd lost his marbles. "I mean you are going back, aren't you?" he asked as he turned to Harry.

Harry frowned and took a big gulp of his wine. "I'm not," he said shortly after swallowing.

"What, why not?" asked Ron, now looking at Harry incredulously. "I mean it's Lel!"

Harry stood up suddenly and leaned on the table heavily. He took in a deep breath and then looked up to his old best friend. "If I go back, Ron, I'll be killed," he said seriously and then turned and walked out of the room, leaving the others to stare after him.

A couple minutes later, Harry flopped himself down onto his bed with a heavy sigh. He hadn't meant to be so rude to everyone, but he really hadn't wanted to talk about Lel or any of the past year at all. He hadn't figured Ron would have a clue what Lel was when he'd said it. He had been planning on brushing it off and letting it sit in their minds as a mystery, but then Hermione just had to know and they'd gone on and on about it.

Harry rolled over onto his back and put his hands behind his head. If he was honest, the thing he was going to miss most about being a Vampire, well besides the speed, strength, and over all invulnerability, was Lel Academe and the friends he'd made there. As much as everything was a competition and the classes hard as hell, the place just felt like home when he was there. He missed Saleio Manor as well, he missed flying around the Manor, he missed his sparring sessions with Terin, he missed Terin…

"That was rude, Harry," Remus said, coming into Harry's room.

And, most of all, he missed people knocking! Harry sat up with a huff. "Yes, it was very rude of me," he snapped snidely. "But did you all have to go on and on about one of the many things I'm forced to forget about, because I'll never have them again!"

"You're the one who brought up Lel, and what Aurelius did to you," Remus pointed out cynically.

"I didn't think Ron was even going to…" Harry shook his head. "You know what, fuck it! I don't care. Just go away, please, I want to be alone."

"Harry…"

"Leave!" Harry snapped and threw himself back down on his bed and covered his head with a pillow.

After a moment he heard Remus sigh and then leave the room, closing the door softly behind him. Harry sat up again and let the pillow drop. He had to do something, he had to get out of here, go somewhere, anywhere. Harry walked over to the window that looked out over Grimmauld Place. But where would he go? It was only about twenty minutes to Kings Cross, and then he could go virtually anywhere from there, couldn't he?

Harry looked over his shoulder at the closed door and then back out into Grimmauld Place. He pushed the window open and winced a bit at the cold wet air that flowed in. Just another thing he missed about being a Vampire, he was no longer impervious to the weather. Harry looked around his room for a moment and then to his old Hogwarts trunk that he'd only opened a few times since being back. He walked over to it and threw the lid open. He rummaged around for a moment before pulling out his winter cloak.

Harry had just closed his trunk with a sharp crack, when he stilled as he heard voices in the hall. Clearly they were trying not to be heard, as they were speaking in low tones. Harry scoffed, if they really didn't want to be heard, they should have used a silencing charm. Harry walked lightly over to the door and opened it a crack, he opened it more when he realized that the voices were coming from the floor below and they wouldn't see him unless he leaned over the banister. Harry hadn't noticed before, but was going to keep note of it now, the stairwell was excellent for sound amplification. He could almost hear Remus and Dumbledore as if he were standing right next to them. No wonder Mrs. Black's portrait went off at the slightest of sounds.

"What about the Ministry?" Remus asked to whatever Dumbledore had said before Harry had really started listening. "He is still technically a suspect in Vernon Dursley's death."

"Tell me, forgetting the fact that you've been with him for the last week, if he were to walk down the hall at Hogwarts, would you know right away that he was Harry Potter?"

Remus was silent for a moment before he spoke up again. "No, he doesn't look a thing like Harry."

"And would you even come close to connecting him with James or Lily Potter?" Dumbledore asked.

"No, his eyes may have me suspect, but anyone who didn't know Lily as well as I did, wouldn't even consider it," Remus said heavily.

"Then we do not have to worry about the Ministry at all. For all they, and the rest of the Hogwarts population will be aware, he is an exchange student," Dumbledore said simply. "The only people, besides you, Severus, Lucius, Miss Granger, Mister Weasley and I, who have seen Harry as he is now, are the Vampires, who clearly don't want anything more to do with him, and three Covenant Slayers who have sworn their own secrecy."

"But is Hogwarts the best place for him to be right now, Albus? He's having difficulty adjusting. He asks for me to be patient with him, but at the same time he doesn't seem very willing to change. He acts more superior than Lucius Malfoy, and that is no compliment. I don't know what those Vampires did to him, some sort of condition training I'm sure, but… Albus, he ordered me to send Ron and Hermione away today, very nearly threatened me and it almost snapped my control over the wolf. I didn't hurt him, but I wanted to, and that scared the shit out me! If he can make _me_ lose my control I don't think he belongs in a classroom, let alone back in the dorms with other children."

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment after that, and Harry thought he was just going to leave it at that, but then he spoke again almost hesitantly. "I want him at Hogwarts, where I can keep an eye on him," he said even more quietly. "When he came back, I felt every confidence that Harry was telling the true about his uncle's death. However, seeing him now, I have to wonder if he was this way even before he was turned, and was only doing a very good job of play acting."

"You think he deliberately pushed his uncle?" Remus asked with a mix of incredulity and indecision in his voice.

"I don't know, but I fear it so, and that is why I want him at Hogwarts. However, you are correct, regardless if he is acting or not, until he is properly acclimated to being Human again, he doesn't belong in the dorms. I can only imagine the fights he would start with his current attitude. I believe there is a set of empty personal rooms in the dungeons, somewhere down Severus' wing. We'll allow him the use of those until he is adjusted, and hopefully Severus will be willing to help him with that."

"All right, Albus, we'll see you tomorrow evening… Don't give me that look, Albus you know it is going to take at least a day to convince him. We'll be lucky if we make dinner."

Harry quietly walked back into his room as Dumbledore left. He wasn't overly surprised that Dumbledore didn't trust him. The feeling was mutual, he didn't trust Dumbledore either. But the real question was, did he put his foot down now about going to Hogwarts, or did he just go along with it?

Harry stared out the window and out into the dark street again. He really didn't have anywhere else to go. Sure he could go to Gringotts, take what money he had, and skip town. But really, how long would it be before Sarae caught up with him again? He had no protection against her on his own. On the other hand, if he went to Hogwarts and Sarae threatened the students again, he'd quite possibly be handed over in a heartbeat anyway.

"Damn it!" Harry slammed his hands down on the windowsill, biting back another curse at the sting that washed over his palms.

Being Human again felt like he'd just had a terminal disease suddenly thrust upon him. He knew it wasn't the same. He was perfectly healthy, by Human standards, but he felt so weak. He felt so helpless, and he dearly wished he knew of a spell that would turn him back into a Vampire. But if there was one, Aurelius wouldn't have left him, he was certain of that.

Harry narrowed his eyes out at the night, threw his cloak around his shoulders and then climbed out of the window and stumbled the few feet to the grassy ground, his knees nearly buckling at the impact. He looked back up at the window above him and sighed. A drop like that had been nothing when he was a Vampire.

Harry shook his head and then started to walk away from Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. If he was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow, he might as well have one night of fun beforehand. Harry walked down the road a bit and then looked back over his shoulder to see if anyone had seen him. He smirked slightly as the Black residence vanished before his eyes, and then he turned back and continued on his way towards the center of London.

...

Aurelius prowled back and forth in his study, looking very much like a caged tiger to the other two Vampires in the room. Vantesh had been present when the Wizard, Werewolf and Slayer had brazenly come to the manor and told Aurelius what had happened to Harry. Had the situation not been so dire, he would have laughed at the panicked looks that had crossed the three men's faces after relaying the news.

To say that Aurelius had not been happy was an understatement, and the only reason the three had lived to see another day, was because Aurelius was smart enough to know when he needed someone else's help, and he certainly needed theirs. Unfortunately they'd arrived too late. Now Vantesh was the one afraid for his life, as he finished telling his Master the one thing Aurelius did not want to hear.

"Damn it!" Aurelius slammed his fists down onto his desk, cracking the marble surface unintentionally.

Vantesh stood by rigidly. He wished he had an answer for his Master, but he really couldn't figure out how the Prowler had done it. He'd spent all week researching, but there were only two cases that he'd come across in over a thousand years of history that had a Vampire turning into a Human, and both times the Vampire died in the process. There was only one way he knew of that would turn a Vampire Human without causing death first. However, the Vampire had to be born, not turned to do so without killing him; and even with Aurelius' magic, Harry hadn't completely been a born Vampire, he still wouldn't have been able to age older than he was or been able to have children.

"I am sorry, Master. Had he been born a Vampire…" Vantesh trailed of as a thought suddenly occurred to him and his eyes widened at the impossibility of what could only be pure coincidence.

"What?" Aurelius demanded when Vantesh didn't finish.

"I'm not positive," Vantesh continued still in thought. "And I would need a fresh sample of Harry's blood to confirm, but if he'd had a dormant Vampire gene before you turned him, Master, the spell I'm thinking of, most probably still would have worked."

"What spell?" Josef, who'd been leaning by the door, asked.

"It is runic magic, Masters. The simplest explanation, it turns a Vampire into a Human by removing much of the Vampire's powers and suppressing the Vampire gene," Vantesh explained quickly. "This only works of course, on a naturally born Vampire, as a turned Vampire doesn't have the gene, only a magically substituted one that rewrites the genetic structure of the Human, which is why the spell would kill a turned Vampire. Of course if my theory is correct, that would also mean that the Prowler already knew Harry had a suppressed gene, or she would have simply killed him, as the spell would have anyway, and that was clearly not her intent as she left him there alive."

"And if it was this spell, what does that mean for Harry?" Josef questioned, coming further into the room, now that Aurelius didn't look like he was going to tear them all apart.

"Harry can be turned again," Aurelius stated for his brother.

"Well…" Vantesh began, but fell silent, not wanting to get himself in trouble by contradicting Aurelius.

Aurelius rolled his eyes. "Speak already!"

"It could kill him also," Vantesh finished. "You see, Masters, it's a whole process of bringing the dormant gene to the forefront, so it's no longer suppressed. Then Harry would naturally turn, over a time period of a few months perhaps, but he'd then be a born Vampire, and all his abilities would come back to him as instinct. He may even have better control as he's already learned most of the things Vampires can do."

"And this would kill him how?" asked Josef.

"To bring the gene forward, we would have to completely remove his magic, which is keeping the gene dormant, long enough for the gene to become active again. And then once the gene is active, we give him back his magic. And that is what could kill him," Vantesh explained. "As you are aware, born Vampires are inherently magical. If his magic is removed for too long, he will die from the turning, because his magic won't be there to help his body compensate to the changes. But also, he is very powerful, we've all seen this, and giving his magic back to him too quickly, could burn him out."

"I think this is a choice Harry is going to have to make, Aurelius. It is his life after all," Josef said when he saw his brother turn to start making plans to bring Harry back.

Aurelius looked up. "Do you really believe, Josef, even with the prospect of death, that he would choose anything else?"

Josef shook his head, but it was Vantesh that spoke. "I think, given the chance to live as a Human again for a while, Masters, Harry would choose to stay Human."

"Then we must get him back quickly." Aurelius stated and turned back to his planning. "I will not leave my son in the hands of those Wizards!"

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	19. Only Human

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Nineteen – Only Human

It wasn't as if Harry ever really intended to get himself into these situations, he just kind of fell into them. He thought he'd sneak into a club, have a few drinks, maybe dance a bit, and then go back to Grimmauld to face the rest of his life as a Human. But somewhere along those lines he'd ended up here, with _them_, and now he really, truly felt what it was like to be Human again.

The heavily drugged girl beside him and the three rather inebriated older boys across from him were completely oblivious to the danger they'd all managed to land themselves in and thought they'd been invited down here for a private party. Harry however, was the only one of the lot who hadn't walked into the basement willingly and knew exactly what they were up against. The real question now was, did he try and force himself to Apparate to safety and leave the Muggles to fend for themselves – never mind that he'd never actually Apparated before – or did he stay and risk his very Human life to stop what he knew was in store for them all?

Harry's mind was still clouded from the Muggle drug he'd quickly realized had been slipped into his drink, and before he had a chance to make up his moral mind, his decision was made for him. A glacial hand clamped painfully around his upper arm, effectively stopping him from doing much of anything without risking his own life. He tried to remain calm, but he could feel his heart beating swiftly in his chest as he was roughly pulled away from the others.

"This one is mine," the tallest of the group of Vampires said as he pulled Harry against his chest.

"Hey, why do you get the Wizard?" One of the two female Vampires said from the other side of the group, where she'd been debating over which of the three Muggle boys she wanted with the brown haired Vampire beside her.

"Yeah, I want a taste of him too. They say Wizard blood is so pleasurable," the other female Vampire purred, curling a strand of her perfect blonde hair around her finger.

"Because I said so," the first Vampire hissed and tightened his grip on Harry's upper arm.

Harry gritted his teeth to keep from crying out. If the Vampire's hand tightened much more, his arm would break. Harry eyed the last of the five Vampires in the room, the one that had remained silent since they'd all come down here. And the one that was clearly the leader. He was also the one who had dragged Harry down here with the drugged girl Harry'd spent the last hour dancing with because she kept buying him drinks.

"We'll share him," he said in a soft but commanding tone, as he glaring at the Vampire holding Harry. "He'll be dessert."

"But what am I going to eat?" the tall one whined.

"It's not my fault you didn't procure your own meal. Now release him before you damage him further. I'd rather him at least mildly coherent when we drain him. It's so much more fun when they understand what's happening to them."

The Vampire muttered something Harry's ears couldn't hear, but then released him when the leader growled at him. Harry rubbed his bruised arm and took a shaky step away. He looked around at the Muggles. He felt sorry for them, but he wasn't about to lose his life with them and he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against these nightwalkers.

Harry concentrated on Apparating, he didn't know for sure how it was done, and he hoped it was like Vanishing. He felt the first tingle of his magic and then he was being slammed down onto the concrete floor by the leader. Harry coughed as all the air was pushed from his lungs, and groaned from the pain that raced through his back.

"Of course, having dessert first doesn't sound like such a bad idea," the Vampire growled and showed his fangs to Harry.

"I like that idea. Gives sweetness to our meals," the blonde Vampire purred.

Harry tried to struggle against the hand holding him down as the other four Vampires crowded around him.

"So how are we doing this?" the brown haired Vampire asked. "Take turns?"

"Or we could do it all at the same time. There's enough flesh if we remove his shirt," the first female Vampire suggested with a curl of her lips, and ran her hand down Harry's torso.

"Yes," the leader said and then tore Harry's shirt off. "Yes there is."

Harry began struggling again as panic settled in, but he was quickly subdued by the others. He tried to Apparate again, but his magic wouldn't come. "Please," he found himself begging as his heart pounded in his chest and his breath began to come in pants. "Please."

"Oh, isn't that sweat, he's begging for his life," the blonde cooed.

Harry tried to glare at her, but he was too terrified, and the look didn't even come close to affecting her. The others laughed and then Harry felt the first bite on his shoulder, quickly followed by four more on other parts of his torso. Harry couldn't hold back the scream that tore from his throat.

"Oh my god!" one of the Muggles yelled as they suddenly realized what was going on. The drugged girl screamed and then all of the Vampires were releasing Harry and advancing on the Muggles.

Harry felt too tired to do anything, but watch. He felt on the brink of passing out, but he knew if he didn't act now, they'd all come back and finish him off when they were through shutting the Muggles up. Harry tried to Apparate again, but it was like something was blocking him. He felt his magic there, but it didn't want to do what he wanted it to.

A tingling sensation started down his arms and Harry shakily lifted his hands to see the marks on his wrists starting to pulse. He'd completely forgotten about his runes, pushing it to the back of his mind as another thing he'd lost when he'd become Human. But now he was abruptly reminded that he had more than just Wizarding magic on his side. He was still a Mage!

Harry focused on his runes. It was harder to concentrate on commanding them than it had been when he was a Vampire, and his head was pounding from the blood loss and the drug still in his system, but he managed to call forth and form a single rune and sent it flying above the leader's head.

The leader screamed as his flesh burst into flames and then he disintegrated. Seconds later the other Vampire's burst into flames as well and Harry and the Muggles were left blinking spots out of their eyes as the rune that had virtually created the sun, disappeared back into Harry's arm.

Harry shakily pushed himself back to his feet and stared at the Muggles. "You didn't see any of this," he said quietly. "If you tell anyone, they'll only think you're crazy, and really, who would believe you anyway."

"I didn't see anything," said one of the boys, shaking his head vigorously, and then scrambled up the stairs and back into the club above them, clearly terrified.

The other three looked at where he had disappeared, glanced back at Harry and then ran away themselves. Harry sagged against the wall. Had he a wand he would have tried to Obliviate them, but really he could care less about the Statute of Secrecy at the moment. He had a bigger problem right now, getting back to Grimmauld Place without attracting any attention, or for that matter, getting out of the club.

The room spun as he pushed himself off the wall and he closed his eyes against it, leaning back against the wall. As soon as the dizziness passed he grabbed the remains of his torn shirt and covered as much of the bite marks as possible. Thankfully, most of the Vampires hadn't wanted him to bleed to death before they could get back to him, so had closed the wounds, but there were two marks that were still bleeding. He'd have to deal with them as soon as he left the club.

Harry walked shakily back up the stairs and into the noisy club. None of the Muggles had any inclination of what had nearly transpired beneath them. Harry wearily pushed his way through the crowds and found his cloak under the table he'd stashed it at when he'd arrived, and then he shoved his way out of the club. The bouncer at the door stopped him as he stumbled out.

"You aren't driving are you?" he asked loudly over the blaring of the music inside.

Harry shook his head briefly, but stopped when the world spun again. He dizzily started to walk passed the guy, when his legs finally decided to give out under him. His last thought before unconsciousness finally claimed him, was that he really hated being Human.

...

Harry blinked open his eyes and immediately sat up. His first thought was how had he gotten to Hogwarts? His second, as he realized that he wasn't at Hogwarts at all, but a Muggle Hospital, was how the hell had he gotten here? His third thought was of how much his body ached and then everything came back to him. He must have passed out leaving the club. No surprise with the amount of blood that had been taken from him combined with whatever drug had been slipped to him. But how long had he been here?

Harry looked around him as he moved to get out of bed, but was stopped by an intravenous in his arm and the fact that he was wearing nothing but a hospital gown and his boxers. He winced as he carefully pulled the needle from his arm, and grabbed a tissue out of the box on the stand beside his bed to stanch the bleeding. Wrapping the blanket around him, he carefully slid out of bed. He looked around for a moment for his clothes, but quickly realized they weren't there.

He gave a frustrated sigh and then reached for the curtain, blocking him from the rest of the room, and moved it aside enough to see out. Harry found that he was in a large room with several other curtained off areas, with nurses and visitors moving about between them. He looked to the other end of the room, where a set of double doors separated them from the rest of the hospital. There was no way he was going to be able to get out without being seen, and it didn't help that he was feeling woozy just being on his feet.

"Hey there, you shouldn't be up!"

Harry cringed and turned to the young blonde nurse coming towards him. "Yeah, look, I'm fine. I'd really just like my clothes so I can go," he said shakily.

"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere until your parents can come and get you," the nurse said sternly as she ushered him back to the bed. "Besides, the doctor hasn't been back yet and he's the only one who can discharge you."

"Umm, really, I'm fine. I don't need to see the doctor and well my parents aren't exactly available," Harry insisted. "Besides, I'm not underage."

"You're eighteen?" the nurse asked skeptically, halting her movements to get him back in bed.

Harry straightened slightly, suppressing a wince as pain raced up his back. "Yes," he lied steadily.

"And can you produce sufficient identification to prove that?"

Harry gritted his teeth in frustration. The nurse obviously knew that he couldn't as he hadn't had any ID on him when he'd snuck into the club. "Yes," he said anyway. "It's with my clothes."

The nurse crossed her arms over her chest and leveled him a stern glare. "As your clothes were searched when you were brought in and no identification was found, I'll let you try again."

"All right, look, I don't have an ID, but I'm of age, really. And I really just have to go home."

"You can go home when someone can come and get you," she said firmly and lightly pushed him back into the bed. "And the doctor confirms you are safe to leave," she added. She looked to the intravenous and then his arm that was no longer bleeding. "I shouldn't leave that out of your arm, but I will if you promise not to get out of bed again."

Harry sighed and nodded, understanding that at the moment he really had no choice in the matter. Really, how far was he going to get without real clothes anyway, not to mention his shoes? The nurse left a moment later, closing the curtain behind her. Harry readjusted the blanket so he was more comfortable and was just about to wait for who he hoped was a reasonable doctor, when he saw a drawer off to the side, which was slightly open. They wouldn't have put his clothes too far, perhaps…

Harry scuttled out of bed again and then pulled open the drawer. His cloak, jeans, and sneakers were there, but his t-shirt was gone. He shrugged and then pulled out his clothes. Peeking out the curtain again, he looked around for a moment to make sure the nurse wasn't coming back and then pulled his pants on and swung his cloak around his shoulders.

As Harry tied his sneakers, he was amazed at how much effort just getting dressed seemed to take as he was forced to lean on the bed while he got his breathing back to normal. And God did he hurt. If he were anyone other than him, he'd probably adhere to what the pretty nurse had told him and gotten back into bed, but he knew that there was no one he could contact in the Muggle world. Grimmauld Place didn't have a telephone, and he didn't know if the Weasley's still had theirs hooked up, not that he remembered the number anyway. And he didn't fancy the hospital getting the police involved. He was after all still wanted by the Ministry, so who was to say that the Muggle government wasn't still looking for him as well. His relatives were – had been, Muggles.

Harry looked out through the curtain for the third time, but this time he looked towards the double doors. He debated with himself whether or not he'd be spotted before he got to them, and then who would be waiting on the other side, but then he shrugged and sprinted with as much speed as his energy allow towards the doors.

"Hey!" the nurse called as she spotted him.

Harry ignored her as she ran over and pushed a button on the wall. He ran through the doors and out into a lobby. He again ignored the shouts of the people at the front desk and quickly made his way towards the doors that had a clearly marked exit sign above them. He ran through those doors too, starting to feel really lightheaded, and then abruptly collided with an orderly.

Instinctively Harry twisted as he fell to catch himself, and surprising even himself, swiftly flipped back to his feet. Harry, stunned at his own reflexes, hesitated too long before running again and found himself being dragged back through the hospital. He was strapped down on his bed before his dizzying senses even caught up to what was happening and then he was yelling, at the top of his lungs for good measure, for them to let him go. The last thing he remember before he passed out was a sharp pain in his arm as he promptly found himself being sedated.

...

When Harry next awoke, he was in a hospital room by himself and if the sun streaming through in slivers from the curtained window was any indication, it was daytime. Harry briefly wonder how long he'd been there as he tried to sit up, but that thought was wiped away as he found that he couldn't, or rather didn't want to move any more than a few inches, as his torso and back hurt too much.

Carefully, he pulled the hospital shirt up so that he could see why he was in such pain. He banged his head back against his pillow in anger and cursed the fact that he was Human. The exposed skin was all black and blue, and a patch on his right shoulder and another on his left side was bandaged with thick white gauze and tape. It looked like he'd been beaten.

Harry didn't need to look at his back and arm to know that they probably resembled the mess that was his chest. How the hell was he going to explain this to Remus, or the doctors for that matter? Harry shook his head tiredly. If he were a Vampire still, he'd be able to get out of this no problem, hell he wouldn't be here in the first place. Harry clenched is teeth and closed his eyes against his frustration, he wasn't a Vampire, and could never be one again, so why the hell was his still dwelling on it? It just felt so _wrong_ being Human.

Opening his eyes, but keeping his teeth clenched, Harry quickly pushed himself up and then staggered out of the hospital bed. It didn't matter how much pain he was in, he had to get out of here before a doctor or nurse came and he lost his chance. Breathing through the pain, he looked around for a drawer that might hold his clothes, but there was hardly anything in the room, let alone a drawer.

Shaking his head, Harry grabbed the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around himself and then he went to the door and pulled on the handle. He cursed when the door didn't budge. The small window on the door showed no one in the hallway.

He debated yelling for someone to release him, but quickly decided against that. If he yelled, someone would come and then he'd not have a chance to escape at all. And even though he was Human, he was still a Wizard. He knew he could get out of this himself. Harry concentrated on summoning up some of his magic. All he needed was to perform one unlocking charm. He'd summoned his wand to him before, it was the same principle. He just had to concentrate.

Just like when he'd tried to Apparate back at the club, he felt his magic build up, but again, it was as if something was blocking it, keeping it from flowing to where he needed it to go. Harry growled in frustration, wondering what the hell was up with his magic, and then searched his mind for a rune that could get rid of the lock. The problem with runes was that they weren't meant for doing simple things. Sure he could direct them to do things like conjuration, but he really hadn't studied the simple things yet. He could probably disintegrate the door, but he might run the risk of setting a fire instead, and he wasn't quite sure on his control at the moment.

Harry thought about just blasting the door open, but dismissed the thought as that would be rather loud and would certainly bring someone running. He wandered to the window, pulled the curtain aside, and then smirked as he noticed the window was looking over a tarred roof and it could be opened, hopefully enough that he could squeeze out.

Harry was working on his third turn of the lever that opened the window when the door opened behind him and he spun around to see a doctor walk in, but he wasn't alone. He had another two individuals with him, a man in business like clothing, and a police officer. Harry bit the inside of his lip to keep from swearing as he followed the last to enter with his eyes. He just knew this was all going to get him into trouble somehow.

"Ah, I see you're awake," the doctor said as he came to stand by the bed and then eyed the half-opened window, "And trying to leave again, probably not the best idea just yet, yeah?"

Harry didn't bother to give an excuse. "Can you let me go now?" he asked instead as he stayed standing by the window.

"In time," the doctor said and then patted the bed. "Why don't you come and sit down, young man. I'm sure you are in quite a lot of pain, standing over there."

Harry eyed the other two men, and then shakily walked back over to the bed and sat down on it gingerly. There really was no escape for him now, and he was in pain.

"Good now," the doctor said pleasantly. "My name is Doctor Henry Westfield, by the way. This is Eric Neal from the Department of Child Welfare, and Inspector Jennings," he said as he introduced the two non-medical staff and Harry frowned slightly, what could Welfare possibly want with him? "Now, can you tell us your name?"

"Harry Saleio," Harry said hesitantly, still eyeing Eric Neal curiously. Giving Saleio as his last name wasn't completely a lie, and he knew giving his real name could cause quite a bit more problems for him, if they didn't suspect who he was already, that was.

"It's nice to meet you, Harry," Eric spoke up with a smile.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Sure," he muttered before turning back to the doctor. "Look, I'm feeling fine, and the nurse last night said that you're the only one who can discharge me, so I'd really like to have my clothes back so I can go." The desperation to get out of the hospital must have shown in his voice as the three men glanced at each other.

"Actually, we'd like to talk to you for a bit first if you don't mind," Eric said almost soothingly.

Harry looked back to the man suspiciously. "All right," he said uncertainly, "About what?"

"How about we start with you answering a few general questions and we'll work our way up from there," Doctor Westfield said.

"Umm, sure," Harry muttered and prayed they didn't ask anything he couldn't answer.

"We'll start with something easy shall we," Doctor Westfield said. "Where do you live and what is your telephone number?" Harry cringed inwardly, but it must have shown on his face as well.

"You do know your address and telephone number?" Inspector Jennings questioned, giving the other two men a look Harry couldn't quite decipher.

"Course I do," Harry said with as much condescension in his voice as he could muster. He didn't want them to think him inept. "Number Eleven Grimmauld Place, London, and we don't have a telephone at the moment." Harry hoped his lie sounded real. It had been so much easier to lie when he was a Vampire. Well to anyone other than his father and Terin anyway.

"And your parent's names?" the inspector asked.

"Why do you need their names?" Harry asked without thinking.

"Standard procedure," Doctor Westfield said. "And we'll need to contact them, so they can come in and get you."

"They don't need to come here, I'm perfectly capable of getting home on my own," Harry argued.

"Be that as it may, legally we can't release you unless an adult signs you out," the doctor said and Harry frowned. Muggles had so many stupid rules! Had he been at Saint Mungo's he'd probably be fixed up and let go just as quickly. But he wasn't there and that was a problem because he couldn't think of a single adult he could contact by phone. The Weasley's maybe, if somehow he could find the number, but besides Ron, did they even know he was in London, or alive, for that matter?

"Look my parents are dead," Harry said bluntly. "I don't have a legal guardian at the moment, as he is dead as well."

"You don't live at Number Eleven Grimmauld Place, do you?" Eric asked. "You live on the streets." It wasn't a question.

"No," Harry said hotly, his emotions of the whole ridiculous situation getting to him.

"It's not something to be ashamed of, Harry…" Eric began soothingly.

"I do not live on the streets, nor have I ever," Harry hissed. "Nor do I see where I live as any of your bloody business!"

"What happened to you last night?" Inspector Jennings asked abruptly and Harry nearly ground his teeth together in irritation.

"I was stupid. I thought I'd be a normal teenager for once, break a couple rules, have a couple drinks, and go home. Someone slipped me a drug and I don't remember anything after that," Harry said with anger in his voice. "Now please, I really just have to go home."

Jennings nodded in what appeared to be understanding and looked upon him with sympathy in his eyes. He glanced at the other two and Eric nodded as if confirming something to both the doctor and the inspector. Harry didn't like the silent conversation going on.

"Can I leave now?" Harry asked again, if only to cut the silence.

"Why are you so eager to get home, Harry?" Eric asked evenly.

"Because I didn't tell anyone where I was going and they'll be worried." Harry decided to tell them exactly what he thought they'd want to hear. Though, it did come out a bit mockingly in his opinion.

"Are you afraid you'll be in trouble if you don't get home?" Eric asked and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Of course I'll be in trouble, I didn't tell anyone where I was going – wait, what are all these questions for?" Harry questioned as it suddenly dawned on him what these people might be thinking of him. And it explained what Child Welfare was doing here too. Harry could almost laugh, if it weren't so true of his past life at the Dursleys.

"Harry, do your parents hurt you?" Eric said gently.

Harry stared silently at the man for a good minute, simply to unnerve him and the others and then finally he spoke slowly as if explaining something to a little kid. "Well, gee sir, you see, my parents died when I was a baby, so unless they've come back as ghosts and started beating on me, I'd have to say no." The condescension in Harry's voice was almost palpable in the air. "And no, no one hurts me at home either," he added for good measure.

The three adults stared at him for a moment as if measuring him for the truth and then finally decided that what he was telling them wasn't a lie. "We do apologize, Harry," Eric finally said. "We just had to make sure. Your insistent need to go home, the shape you were in when you were brought here. The escape attempt last night before the doctor could see you, they're all signs of someone who is suffering from an abused family, and I've seen it from some street kids as well, most who are runaways. And then there are the scars…"

Harry sat uncomfortably for a minute. These people really were just worried for him. It was odd, because he'd never really had anyone worry about him like that, well except for Ron and Hermione, but they were all just kids when they'd found out about Harry's home life at the Dursley's before Hogwarts, and neither of them really knew how to react. He let out a sigh and decided that he'd give them some semblance of the truth.

"Look, the truth is, I was angry last night because my current guardian wants me to return to a school that is beneath my abilities, and I snuck out to enjoy some freedom before having to go back. I went to a club, as I said, had a few drinks, danced a bit, and then some guy slipped something into my drink, everything else is fuzzy after that. I remember wandering out of the club, but that's all," Harry said as honestly as he could, even as he lied. "I don't know many people, and my current guardian doesn't have a phone, as I said, so I've no real way to contact him and I don't know anyone else I can call. And I really just hate hospitals," he added with a little humor in his voice, and even the doctor smiled at him in understanding.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	20. A Different Person

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty – A Different Person

Harry sat silently in the back seat of Inspector Jennings police car as he was driven through London towards Grimmauld Place. After much insistence, mainly by Harry, that he could get home himself, he was told by the police officer that he would be driving him home.

Harry had found out that in normal circumstances another officer would have been sent to his home to inform his guardian of Harry's whereabouts and arrange for Remus to come into the hospital and get him. However, as luck or circumstance would have it, there had been a major traffic accident in London, at the same time that a huge fire had broken out in the warehouse district and of all things an armed robbery at the British Museum. So needless to say, both the police and the hospitals had their hands full.

Now Harry had a new problem on his hands. He didn't actually live at Number Eleven Grimmauld, and Number Twelve, to Muggles and anyone who couldn't see it, was quite obviously invisible. The people who lived at Number Eleven certainly weren't going to recognize him, and Jennings was going to know he'd lied, which Harry knew was going to lead to a whole new set of problems. He'd already had the hardest time explaining the scars he had and it was only really quick thinking and a tale about a friend's car, a car accident, and "_please don't tell my guardian, he wants to think I'm a better kid than I am_," that smoothed that whole situation over.

Harry was desperately and silently trying to figure out a way to get out of this situation. He did know for certain that the inspector was going to want to speak with Remus and wouldn't just drop him at the door. If Harry thought even for a second that he could perform a wandless Confundus Charm, he'd do it, but with the way his magic had been acting, he had little doubt that he wouldn't even be able to summon something to him. And short of killing the inspector with a rune, there really wasn't much else he could do.

Harry started to really fidget as they finally turned onto Grimmauld Place. He saw down the road where Number Eleven and Thirteen were, and where Number Twelve was supposed to be and then he blinked as two figures appeared in between Eleven and Thirteen. And then he blinked again when he realized that it was Remus and Severus Snape. By the Gods, the Fates really were working with him for once, of course at the same time he did have to face them.

"Inspector, that's Remus, my guardian," Harry spoke up with a nervous lilt to his voice and pointed out the two walking up the street.

Jennings pulled the car to a stop in front of Number Eleven and Remus and Snape came to a stop. Harry tried to open the door to get out, but it was locked. Jennings got out and walked up to Snape and Remus without letting Harry out. Harry couldn't hear what they were saying, but he cringed back a bit when the two men turned stern and angry glares on him before going back to listening to what the inspector was telling them.

Finally, after what appeared to be some heated words on Remus' part, Jennings walked up to the car and opened the door from the outside. Harry got out, not once taking his eyes off Remus and Snape. "I told them what you told me, and explained where you've been for the last day and a half." Harry nodded, looking back to the inspector. "I think they've been really worried about you. They told me they've been looking everywhere for you."

"Of course they have," Harry muttered. "Wish that worry saved me from the lecture I know is coming," he said with little humor and glanced back to Remus, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a disappointed frown on his face.

Jennings patted him on the arm lightly, and with some sympathy said quietly, "I'll let you know, Harry, coming from a parent's point of view. That anger you see in their eyes, is only because they care about you."

Harry gave Jennings a small smile. "I know," he said, "Which only makes me feel worse for doing what I did."

"Good luck, Harry, and try not to get into trouble again. I can see you're a good kid and would hate to see you fall into the wrong crowds," Jennings said and then after nodding to Remus and Snape, got back into his car and was gone not long later.

Harry stayed where he was, watching the inspector go. If only Jennings knew who he really was, what he'd done, he definitely wouldn't think him a _good_ kid. After a moment Harry turned back, mentally squaring his shoulders as he faced the anger in their eyes.

An uncomfortable feeling of embarrassment washed over him as they all continued to stare at each other. His actions in leaving so brashly really had been stupid. Anyone who wanted to kill him could have found him. He was just lucky the Vampires who did find him weren't up to date on the happenings in the Wizarding world and were more worried about a quick meal.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, though his voice didn't reach much above a whisper.

"House. Now," Remus said sternly and then turned on his heel and walked towards Number Twelve. Harry sighed and then followed.

Snape stayed until Harry was walking even with him. "I don't think I need to rant about your stupidity, Potter," he said quietly. "Clearly you already get that."

Harry nodded. "I'll thank you for that, Professor, and I think Remus will probably go on for the both of you when he hears the whole story anyway."

"I had no doubt there was more," Snape said dryly. "Just swear to me you didn't kill anyone, Dumbledore is in there and I don't believe you want to face that ire." Harry faltered in his steps and Snape turned to glare at him with disbelieving eyes. "Please tell me you didn't kill anyone," he hissed quietly.

"I'll explain inside," Harry said uncomfortably and then quickened his pace, leaving the Professor to follow him with narrowed eyes.

A moment after the door closed behind the two, a cloud of black preceded the appearance of two figures. "Right there," Vantesh said, staring at a spot between two buildings uncertainly. "According to the blood location spell, he's right there." Vantesh turned to Josef. "I don't believe the spell worked, Master. How can he be in between two buildings?"

"Wizard's magic," Josef said distastefully. "He is there, only we cannot see the house he is in."

Vantesh searched his mind as he recalled a Wizarding spell that could make an entire place disappear. "The Fidelius Charm then?" he half asked, half stated.

"Yes."

"Can you break it, Master?" Vantesh asked, still looking at the spot between the two buildings.

"No. It is Blood Magic, and tied to the person who keeps its secret. Unless we can find that person and kill them, we will simply have to wait until they come out again," Josef said and then moved to lean casually against a decaying tree.

"If they come out again, Master," Vantesh pointed out. "They do have ways of leaving from within a dwelling without going through the front door."

"True," Josef said with a frown. "But eventually someone will come out, and when they do, we will simply invite ourselves inside."

...

When Harry arrived in the entry hallway he was abruptly assaulted by a head of bushy hair as Hermione threw her arms around him. "Oh, Harry, we were so worried! Ron and I didn't mean to upset you, we're so sorry!" Hermione exclaimed as Harry stood stiffly in her embrace with his jaw clenched, wondering what the hell she was talking about and hoping she let go soon as his bruising was not being forgiving. Mrs. Black's portrait came to life not a moment later, shouting her indignations, and Remus ran to close the curtains. Hermione gasped and spun around. "I'm so sorry, I completely forgot, Remus," she said apologetically in a hushed voice.

"Not a problem, Hermione, though will someone please help me close the curtains?" Remus asked as he struggled to close the heavy curtains by himself while Mrs. Black continued to go on. Hermione rushed over.

Harry rolled his eyes and wondered not for the first time why no one had ordered Kreacher to simply take the painting down. Harry certainly would have had he been bothered to before now. "Kreacher!" snapped Harry quietly.

The elf appeared with a pop. "Master Harry is needing something from Kreacher?" he asked with a low bow.

"Your mistress is clearly unhappy there, how do we solve that problem?" Harry asked diplomatically. If he had picked up anything during his time as a Vampire it was how to go about getting something without offending those he didn't want to offend. And Kreacher may have been a servant, but offending a servant could be detrimental to one's health. They could be viciously vindictive as Lucius Malfoy and unfortunately Sirius had learned the hard way.

"You believe the House Elf can stop this?" Snape asked behind Harry. Harry simple continued to look down at Kreacher.

Kreacher blinked up at him, fidgeting slightly, but remaining silent. Harry fought not to roll his eyes again and suddenly understood Aurelius' frustrations with him when he'd first been turned. "Kreacher, I will not punish you, just tell me please."

Kreacher rung his hands. "Mistress is unhappy because her house is ill-used," he said and then cringed back.

Harry frowned, but then looked up to the still loudly rambling painting thoughtfully. "Of course," he whispered and then took a step forward and said very loudly and with a commanding tone that had everyone looking at him, "That is quite enough, Lady Black!" Mrs. Black's portrait fell silent with a quiet gasp as Harry moved to stand in front of it, practically shoving Hermione and Remus out of the way. Half the people who passed through this house were from old Pureblood families, it was a wonder no one had thought of it before.

"Did he just call her Lady Black?" Hermione whispered to Ron, who'd come up from the kitchens to see what was going on. Ron simply nodded.

Harry stood in front of the portrait and gave Mrs. Black the air he was taught to portray as an Heir to a Vampire Clan. It was on par to what a Pureblood would expect from another Pureblood. "My Lady, I have the utmost respect for the House of Black," he said with civility. "And as my godfather's mother, I would like to have respect for you as well, but you are making that very difficult. Yes your house had been used for purposes against your wishes, however the times have changed significantly and I have no doubt, if you were alive right now that your family would side with us against what is coming to destroy all of the Wizarding world."

Mrs. Black stared at Harry with a mix of curiosity and bafflement. "And what, young man, is coming?"

"Prowlers," Harry said somberly, already knowing that the woman would know what he was talking about. She was from an old family after all.

Mrs. Black gasped and fell back into the chair in her portrait. "By the grace of Merlin, we're all doomed."

"The people here are trying to save the Wizarding world, Lady Black. The Dark Lord has foolishly become one of them. Will you graciously allow us to continue to use your house and the significant resources in it, so we may have a chance to save us all, and allow what is left of your bloodline to survive?"

"Use what you wish, but if what you say is true, I fear there is no saving us. Not with the Vampire Clans of old gone from this world. History reads that only they were strong enough to stand against them," Mrs. Black said almost wisely.

"As well as the magical Covenant Slayers," Harry added with a smirk. "And who, but Wizards say they are all gone from this world?" Mrs. Black's eyes widened and then she smiled at Harry almost knowingly. She gave him a formal nod before her curtains suddenly snapped shut. Harry gave the portrait a confused look before slowly turning back to the others, who were all standing there gaping at him.

"I didn't believe I'd ever see the day Mrs. Black would speak civilly to anyone," Dumbledore suddenly said from the stairwell. "Well done, Harry."

Harry frowned up at Dumbledore. "Did you ever once try speaking to her as the Lady she is?" Dumbledore just stared at him thoughtfully and then Harry shook his head, turned, and walked down towards the kitchen, having no doubt that the others would follow shortly.

Since becoming Human again there had been one thing that had grated on Harry's nerves more than anything else, and that was everyone's lack of tolerance and respect for anyone who they considered insignificant. It had annoyed him as a Vampire as well. However the perspectives were quite different now that he was grouped again with the Wizards. Half the Wizarding wars were fought because of the Wizards looking down on all the other magical creatures as if they were inferior.

Harry to a certain respect understood their view. He'd partially had the same before he'd become a Vampire. But Harry doubted anyone, including Sirius, had ever really tried talking with civility to Mrs. Black, or even Kreacher for that matter. This was still Mrs. Black's house that they had all barged into, and like most magical residences, even though she was dead, she was still the mistress of it. They should have at least had respect enough for the dead to ask her permission, or tell her why they were here in the first place.

Kreacher popped in front of him as soon as he entered the kitchen and smiled at Harry as if he were the day and the night and all the stars in the sky. It was a rather scary sight. He bowed low before straightening again. "Is you be wanting anything, Master Harry?" he asked reverently.

Harry stared at the House Elf for a long moment. He'd served him this last week, but had never looked at him like that. And Harry suddenly understood what his father meant. What he was trying to teach him all along. Something he'd never thought he'd understand. Kreacher no longer feared him. He respected him, just as the servants who willingly stayed at Saleio Manor respected Aurelius.

Harry realized he'd been silent too long and the elf was looking a bit disconcerted and then nodded his head. He was craving something, but it didn't make much sense. Of course after what he had been through perhaps it did. He looked over his shoulder to the empty doorway and then back down to Kreacher. "A blood replenishing potion if you can get it, Kreacher, but let no one see you," he said quietly.

Kreacher nodded and then disappeared.

Harry stood where he was for a moment. He didn't know why he'd told Kreacher not to be seen, but something just felt wrong to him that he was craving a blood-replenishing potion at all. Harry had insisted to Doctor Westfield that he was fine before he'd left the hospital after having a mild painkiller, and all his tests had come back in acceptable parameters. It had been over a day since he'd been attacked and he'd learned that when he'd been brought in, before he'd first woken up, that he'd been given a blood transfusion, but he still felt lightheaded, like he was missing something. Probably iron, Harry mused as he finally sat down at the kitchen table just as Remus came into the room, quickly followed by the others.

Harry stared at Ron and Hermione as they sat down and then looked over to Dumbledore. "Should they be here?" he asked looking back at the two pointedly.

"They are the reason you left, are they not?" Dumbledore asked in turn.

Harry laughed at that, though there was no humor in his voice. "No," he said seriously and then looked back to his old friends. "Ron, Hermione, I apologize if I made it seem as if you had upset me. It wasn't you. It was the situation."

"Oh, well then, why did you leave?" Hermione asked. "I only ask," she continued on quickly before Harry even thought of answering. "Because we just got you back, and we don't want you to go away again. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can fix it."

Harry bit back another scornful laugh. Hermione only cared about him, not like Dumbledore who wanted to keep him under his thumb. "You can't fix it, Hermione," Harry said seriously. "Believe me, I wish you could, but it's not possible. Now I don't mean to be rude, but I need to speak with the Professors and Remus in private."

Hermione opened her mouth as if to protest, but Ron stood. "Sure, Harry. We'll be upstairs," he said and pulled Hermione with him out of the room.

Harry watched them go silently.

"Harry, being Human can't be–" Remus began after they were gone, but Harry cut him off.

"I abhor being Human," he said bluntly, staring at the Werewolf. "But I'm resigned to it. I know it's not possible for me to become a Vampire again. If it were Aurelius wouldn't have left me."

"Why did you leave? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you? How worried we've been. You could have been captured, killed –"

"I know," Harry said sharply, cutting Remus off again before he could get worked up. Remus glared at him, but Harry continued. "I very nearly was killed. So believe me I know."

"What happened, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as Remus and Snape's eyes widened.

"I understood that I'd likely be returning to Hogwarts, even though I was never asked for my opinion on the matter. It was reckless I know, but I needed to get out for one night, to be away, be a normal teenager for once I suppose, before going back to Hogwarts, before going back to truly being Human. And before you all start lecturing me, remember that I am no longer a child. I was a Vampire for a year. The things I've seen, the things I've been forced to do…" Harry shook his head. "I may not physically be of age yet, but I consider myself an adult capable of making my own decisions."

After a long moment of silence Remus spoke with a controlled voice. "How did you end up in the hospital?"

"I got drugged and then jumped by a group of Vampires, nightwalkers, in the club I went to," Harry answered truthfully. "I managed to kill them, unfortunately not before they'd gotten a taste of me. I passed out leaving the club."

"How much blood did they take?" Snape asked, looking over Harry carefully.

"Enough to need a transfusion when I got to the hospital, at least so says the doctor who treated me. Not enough to turn me, so don't worry I won't be becoming a Vampire again anytime soon. I doubt it's even possible," Harry scoffed. "Day and night Vampires may have many differences, but the way we turn is basically the same. Only that they die and lose their magic and day-wanderers don't because of some freak magical phenomenon, that I didn't even understand when I was a Vampire and read about it."

Everyone at the table seemed to sag in relief at that information. Harry clenched his jaw, but decided against making a comment. It mattered little now anyway. He'd never be a Vampire again. At that moment Kreacher reappeared at Harry's side. He bowed and then discreetly handed Harry the potion, but apparently Snape had still been watching him closely, as he plucked the vial from Harry's hand before he had a chance to hide it in his cloak.

"This is a Blood Replenishing Potion," he said narrowing his eyes at Harry, "From _my_ stores!" he exclaimed after looking at the vial more closely.

Harry turned to glare down at Kreacher, who was standing their wide-eyed, but stopped himself. This wasn't his fault, he'd only told the Elf not to be seen getting it. Not where not to get it from, or be seen giving it to him. "Thank you Kreacher, that'll be all," he said and looked back up to Snape as the House Elf bowed and then disappeared. "I apologize for him taking that from you, Professor, I didn't tell him where he shouldn't get it from."

"What do you need a Blood Replenishing Potion for, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore questioned almost accusingly.

"I'm light headed," Harry said dryly. "I assume it has something to do with the blood loss."

"Why didn't you just ask for something, Harry?" Remus asked.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You all assume I cannot take care of myself. I can get things on my own, and I knew if I asked any of you, you'd look at me like you're looking at me now." Harry shook his head tiredly. "Look, I'm used to taking care of myself. I was even before I became a Vampire, thanks to my _upbringing_," Harry practically sneered the world. "I didn't see the need to ask for something I knew Kreacher could get for me." Harry held out his hand for the potion. "I'll replace it, Professor, I promise."

"This isn't what you need, Potter. I'll get you a Pepper-Up Potion," Snape said and then hid the vial in his robes. "And once you return to Hogwarts you should see Madam Pomfrey. As much as Muggle Methods can be useful, they aren't used to dealing with Vampire bites. Your wounds could become infected."

Harry nodded reluctantly, he always did hate going to the hospital wing, but now it was a very strong reminder that he was Human.

"Speaking of returning to Hogwarts, I apologize, Harry. I should have asked if you wanted to return to Hogwarts, not assumed that you would," Dumbledore said with a placating tone.

Harry debated arguing the validity of the apology, but then decided against it. He'd already decided that he was going back to Hogwarts, even if that meant being under the old man's thumb again. He didn't have anywhere else to go and he wouldn't stay trapped in Grimmauld Place forever. However, it didn't mean that he wasn't going to try to milk the situation of all it was worth. He had a rather long list of stipulations in his head, some perhaps over the top, but others he believed necessary.

"Yes, you should have," Harry finally agreed bluntly, and then continued on before anyone could dispute his tone. "I'll agree to return to Hogwarts, however, I have a few requests…" Harry paused. "Conditions really," he amended.

"And those would be?" Dumbledore asked too politely. "Keep in mind that I can only grant these requests if they are in accordance with the school rules," he added.

Harry nodded as Remus and Snape listened silently. "All right, first then, I get to choose my name, and history and all that. Clearly I cannot return to Hogwarts as Harry Potter, for a long list of reasons I shouldn't need to explain. Also, I get to choose what classes I take, I have become far proficient in many classes and I won't be put below my abilities. I am probably ahead of all of my year in almost everything. Lel's structure is such that magically I exceeded all of my years of study in the single year, though I will admit that I did skip over some things to achieve that." Harry paused to gather his thoughts on the rest of his list and Dumbledore interrupted.

"That is all reasonable and I had thoughts along the same lines," the headmaster said and then opened his mouth to continue, but Harry beat him to it.

"Indeed, but I have more," Harry went on in a polite tone that was completely fake. "I will not be affiliated with any of the houses, and will have my own room. I wish to be considered an exchange student outside of the housing system, or if you prefer, I can apprentice with a professor to get around the problem of my sorting. I wish to have a personal House-Elf, preferably Kreacher, as I already have his loyalty. I get to choose where I sit for each meal, and…" Harry paused here, as he knew this last thing was sure to get many objections. "I want Ron and Hermione Obliviated as to who I really am."

"Do you really think that to be necessary?" Remus asked.

"They are your friends, and can help you along while you are at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said right after Remus.

Snape remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

Harry leaned forward in his chair. "I have a Prowler who wants to turn me and control me and use me against everyone. The less people who know who I am, the safer I will feel."

"But they are your friends," Dumbledore reiterated. "Harry, you know they would not tell anyone," he said reasonably. "They are a part of the Order after all and know when to keep secrets," he said with a smile.

"They may not tell others, Dumbledore, but they will talk to each other. I was a Vampire, I know Sarae's abilities. Do you really think that if Sarae or any of her Prowlers were to overhear where Harry Potter was, that they would even hesitate for a moment attacking me at Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "And don't say that the wards or you would protect me, because we both know that you would be lying." Harry sat back while Dumbledore stared hard at him, considering his words.

"I have to agree with Potter, Albus. He has a point. I don't doubt that Sarae has positioned someone just outside the wards, very much within hearing distance of any of the students," Severus said, interjecting Dumbledore's thoughts.

Dumbledore sighed. "Very well, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger will be Obliviated before lunch tomorrow. However, I will have their consent before doing so. I am sure once I point out your reasoning and agree to make it a temporary memory alteration, they will be more than willing to capitulate," he compromised.

Harry stared at Dumbledore for a long moment before he nodded. "All right, but if they don't agree to have their memory altered, I am not staying at Hogwarts. And as I am going there against my better judgment to begin with, I am certain you will find a way to make them agree."

"Yes," Dumbledore said quietly with a frown. "As for your other requests, particularly concerning the House-Elf, one cannot be spared and students aren't permitted to bring in their own. If I made an exception for you, I would have to do so for Mister Malfoy, who has been asking for years, and I simply will not concede to that."

Harry thought about that for a moment and then nodded. "All right, I suppose I can live with that," he said.

Dumbledore smiled, though the twinkle was not present in his eyes. "Good, have you thought on a name?"

Actually, Harry hadn't thought that far, he just figured that anything Dumbledore came up with would be completely ridiculous and he wasn't going to walk around with a name like cupcake or buttercup or something far more humiliating. "Umm, not really, any suggestions?" he asked, looking pointedly at Remus.

"Well, before your father conned your mother into naming you Harry, your mother had wanted to name you Aiden," Remus said with a shrug.

Harry smiled. "Aiden, I like that, my mother had good taste."

"And yet she could never say no to anything your father suggested," Snape muttered and Harry rolled his eyes.

"And a last name?" Dumbledore asked over Snape.

"Saleio," Harry said instantly.

"Won't that be a bit obvious, Harry?" Remus asked, obviously not liking Harry taking on his Vampire father's name.

"Lucius Malfoy, of the Malfoy family that has been around longer than dirt, didn't recognize the name Saleio. I don't see too many other people recognizing it either. The only one who might recognize it is Sarae, and we all know she's going to find me eventually. However, I doubt she'll attack a castle full of Wizards with a handful of Prowlers, on only a guess. She'll wait for confirmation that it is really me first."

"There is another option," Snape said thoughtfully, though he also looked like he wanted to hit himself for it.

"And that is?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Black, you are legally his Heir, and only the Goblins at Gringotts know this," Snape explained. "The other members of the Black family are aware that a Head of House has been named, but not who was chosen after Sirius' death. A year is an acceptable period of mourning and we can say that you chose to come to Hogwarts for your last year of education to honor the Black tradition."

Harry did find the idea intriguing. He could maintain access to at least the Black's Gringotts vault without alerting the Ministry and there were so many members of the Black family that he could easily be a cousin, the son or grandson of one who had been blasted off the family tree. Harry would gain some respect with the Pureblood children at Hogwarts as well being the Head of a Family. As much as Harry wanted to keep his father's name, Snape's idea had more merit. Harry nodded.

"Aiden Black it is then," Dumbledore said with a sigh and then conjured a piece of parchment and a quill and ink bottle, and then jotted it down. "And what classes do you want to take? Keep in mind that you've been away from Hogwarts for a year, and you'll have to keep up with what you choose," he said, completely disregarding what Harry had said about being ahead in magical study.

Harry thought about it for a moment. He was going to be ahead regardless of what he took. But he wasn't sure what he was capable of with his magic acting the way it had been. But then again it may be perfectly normal once he had a wand in his hands again. "Potions, Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts," Harry listed off.

"Ancient Runes?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, you're right, I'll probably be bored," Harry muttered. "Strike Ancient Runes, I could teach that class."

"You could teach Ancient Runes?" Snape questioned, not skeptically as Harry would believe of him, but intrigued.

"My blood sister Alia is a Runes Mistress. She drilled into me everything she knew, which believe me was a lot, and my Runes teacher at Lel, is one of my blood cousins. I would have to say that I have the entirety of the Ancient Runes Class at Hogwarts covered," Harry explained.

"And how are your Potion skills? I assume you've had as much tutelage as with Ancient Runes," Snape inquired.

Harry thought about his words for a moment. Snape had been rather civil with him since he'd been back, and he didn't particularly want to break that truce. He shrugged. "I could likely teach your class as well, though I may be a bit less proficient when brewing. Unfortunately my multitasking skills aren't as good as they were while I was a Vampire, but all of the knowledge is there."

Snape scrutinized Harry for a long moment and then nodded to himself. "Remove him from Potions as well. I'll take him as my teaching assistant, which will remove the problem of him having to be sorted. We can say I hand selected him from another school as he showed promise in becoming a Potion's Master, which is notoriously difficult anywhere you are and he was not getting taught what he needed to at the other school. I found out he was the head of the Black Family and convinced him to come to Hogwarts."

"That's rather clever of you, Severus," Remus said not unkindly, but Snape glared at him anyway.

"And it gives Harry an excuse to why he changed schools after the school year has already started," Dumbledore added.

"Would you care to ask if I want to be your assistant?" Harry asked dryly.

"You don't believe you are up for the challenge, Potter? Or do you believe that you are still challenged at brewing?" Snape sneered.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man and leaned forward with a smirk on his lips. "When you see my skill, Professor, you might decide to go back to Remedial Potions yourself," he said with confidence.

Snape's sneer turned into a smirk. "I suppose we shall see."

Harry sat back. "There is only one more thing that I need before I can return to Hogwarts," he said.

"And what is that, Harry?" Remus asked.

"A wand," Harry said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	21. Perception

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-One – Perception

Vantesh appeared in a cloud of black directly beside Josef, who was still leaning casually against the same tree he'd stood by more than a day ago when Vantesh had left him. He wondered at the elder Vampire's patience. He was nearing his hundredth year and had not nearly the discipline enough not to at least move around every once in a while.

He looked over at the space between the buildings where Harry was and then he narrowed his eyes as he got a feeling as if he'd suddenly lost something and then his eyes widened. "Harry is no longer in there, Master," he announced, looking back at Josef.

"I am aware," Josef said simply. "He left from within last night. He has not been back."

"Do you suppose he'll be coming back?" Vantesh asked, staring back at the space between the houses.

Josef suddenly straightened and a feral grin came to his lips. "Let us find out, the Werewolf is coming out," he said moments before the man appeared onto the walkway between the houses.

Remus looked around briefly, preparing to Apparate, and then froze as he saw the two Vampires standing across the street in the early morning sunlight. He turned to try to Apparate away, but the Vampires were quicker and he was unable to do so as Vantesh clamped his hand down on his shoulder and Josef circled around to stand in front of him.

"Where is he?" Josef asked immediately.

"He's not here," Remus said tightly and tried to shrug off Vantesh's hand.

"Obviously," Josef hissed. "Where is he?"

"He doesn't want anything more to do with you and your kind," Remus stated with anger coming to his voice.

Josef narrowed his eyes at Remus. "You lie."

Remus growled. "He's Human now, leave him alone."

"He has the chance to become a Vampire again," Vantesh said quietly. "Would you deny him that chance? He belongs with us."

"He belongs with the people who care about him," Remus snapped, shoving Vantesh's hand off and rounding on the Vampire with his wand drawn. "You kidnapped him when he was at his most vulnerable and turned him into a monster! You destroyed who he was, who he could have become, and then you abandoned him!" Remus shouted. "I will not let you come back into his life, so you can destroy what future he has left!"

"Careful, Werewolf," Vantesh snarled and Josef growled behind Remus.

"Where is Harry?" Josef demanded this time.

"Nowhere your kind can get to him," Remus growled and then disappeared with a pop.

"I'd kill that Werewolf if I didn't know how much he meant to Harry," Vantesh hissed. "Do you think what he said is true. That Harry doesn't want anything more to do with us?" he asked.

"No. If he thought for a moment Harry would not willing return with us, he would have told us where he was," Josef answered.

"And where do you suppose Harry is? We've not much left of his blood to do another locater spell, and what is left may not be enough to find him again." Vantesh shook his head. "If only I had thought to take some of his blood from him after he was turned Human, we could find him just about anywhere…"

"You heard the Werewolf," Josef said lightly. "Nowhere we can get to him." Vantesh frowned. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has wards against uninvited Vampires, does it not?"

Vantesh smirked. "Yes, I believe it does, Master."

...

"Do not fidget, Potter. They will sense your fear."

Harry stilled mid stride and Snape turned to look back at him questioningly, but Harry was staring into space and didn't take notice. He'd been having moments like these since his return to Hogwarts. There were so many little things that reminded him of Lel, of Saleio Manor, and Harry could never really shake the feeling that he didn't belong here anymore. But at the same time, he didn't know where he belonged or really who he was anymore. He had so many conflicting emotions.

"Potter?" questioned Severus.

Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry. Alia said those exact words to me the day I left for Lel," he said with a small frown.

"Potter, as much as I am loath to admit it. I don't believe you are ready for this. One mistake in there and too many people will start to question who you really are."

"I don't see how they could possibly find out who I am when I really don't know myself," Harry muttered and then shrugged and shook his head again. "I'm fine. I was given a day to adjust to being a Vampire. You've all given me ten to adjust to being Human again. It's time I stop dwelling on the past and look to the future." Harry said this resolutely, but didn't really believe his own words.

It was true that he wasn't ready to start on his new life yet. There were too many uncertainties for his own comfort. And Snape was correct, if he didn't play his role perfectly, a lot of people would start to question him. There were so many things that they could suspect him of. Being Harry Potter the biggest of course, but he was also an unknown, he could be labeled anything from being a dark Wizard to Voldemort's right hand man.

Snape stared at him for a moment and then turned back to continue towards the Great Hall. Harry reluctantly followed, though he was no longer trying to straighten the form fitting robes Snape had insisted be made for him when they'd traveled to Diagon Alley to collect supplies for Harry the night he'd arrived at the school. He'd been there for a few days, but Dumbledore had given him time to recuperate after the Vampire attack. And Madame Pomfrey, though she hadn't made him stay in the Hospital Wing, had forced him to rest, giving him a bunch of potions to stave off infections that made him rather drowsy and unable to do much but sit in his new rooms and think.

"Did you follow her advice?" Snape asked suddenly.

Harry couldn't help but smirked. "I told her I wasn't afraid."

"And what did she say to that?" Snape inquired as they reached the entrance to the Great Hall. Harry could hear the chatter and clatter of students going about their evening meal and for some odd reason that he couldn't explain to himself, he suddenly felt nervous about going in there.

Harry straightened and then smiled as he recalled his blood sister's words. "She said that I should be, and then she advised me to not look uncomfortable or lost when I arrived. She said to walk in as if I belonged there, as if I had been there before."

"Wise words considering the school you were going to," Snape said.

"And do you have any advice for me, Professor?" Harry asked.

"Follow her advice. You are walking into a whole new form of vulture's nest, Potter," he said with a smirk and then entered into the Great Hall.

"Great," Harry muttered as he debated pulling his wand from his robes and casting a notice-me-not charm on himself. Not that he was sure he could as he'd not actually used his wand since Remus had returned it to him the night before. Apparently no one had thought to go looking for it in the woods outside the Burrow, and when Harry had told them that he had lost it there, Remus went to go retrieve it.

Harry was thankful that it hadn't been lost for good. Though it had felt different in his hands the first time he'd touched it, but that may have been because he was so used to using wandless magic and his runes. It was different with a focus.

Harry took a deep breath and then followed Snape. He stilled a step as the hall suddenly became silent as everyone noticed him. He saw Ron and Hermione look up curiously from their meals, but otherwise they didn't show any recognition of ever having seen him before.

Harry held back a sigh, he'd only had them Obliviated for his own comfort. He knew they wouldn't talk about him if instructed not to. He'd decided that if he were coming back to Hogwarts, then he was coming back a new person, not just a different person. Ron and Hermione were part of his past and he'd changed too much to know if he could still be their friend. He probably would still protect the two with his life if it came down to that, but they were all different people now.

Harry continued up the central aisle, trying to block out his memories of the first time he'd entered the Dining Hall at Lel, how everyone had stopped talking then too when he'd arrived late. But he wouldn't be bowing to Dumbledore as he had Aurelius. The old man didn't deserve, nor had he earned that much respect. Dumbledore stood as Harry reached the head table.

"Welcome, Aiden," he said amicably and then turned to the students. "Your attention please," he said, rather unnecessarily as everyone was already quiet and waiting to see who Harry was. "I am pleased to welcome Aiden Black to Hogwarts. He has transferred here from a small Wizarding school in New Zealand to be Professor Snape's teaching assistant, and to obtain his Mastery. He will be attending several seventh year classes while he is with us, so I hope the seventh years from all houses will make him feel welcome," he said and then quietly told Harry to take a seat at the head table for now.

Harry looked down the row and saw that the only seat open to him was directly beside Hagrid. Harry glared at Dumbledore and then moved down the table. He'd forgotten that some of the staff had very briefly seen him as a Vampire, and that Hagrid had been the first. He wondered if any of them would recognize him now and if that was why Dumbledore had placed him beside the half giant.

He watched Hagrid carefully as he passed in front of him, but the man only smiled politely at him. He'd not considered that he'd changed so much in appearance from Vampire to Human, but apparently he had and he wondered now if Sarae would even recognize him if she saw him from a distance. It could be very advantageous to him if that were the case.

Conversations started back up again as he took his seat and then stared at his empty plate. After waiting too long, with a slight eye roll he began methodically filling his plate, picking his food on mostly looks. He knew it was normal here to serve himself, he'd done it for years before, but he had grown used to Kreacher serving him and had almost forgotten that fact. And as he had a school House Elf bring him food the last few days, it hadn't been much different than Kreacher making up his plate. Harry looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Hagrid watching him with a curious expression on his face.

Harry didn't know if he should start a conversation with the half-giant or just ignore him. He felt slightly guilty with ignoring him, but at the same time he was remembering his etiquette lessons, drilled into him. And though he wasn't a Vampire anymore, he couldn't make himself forget that Hagrid as a half-breed was still beneath him. That had been one of his problems with Remus as well. He wanted to overcome these contradicting feelings, but he didn't know how.

Harry decided not to look up from his plate and instead listened carefully to hear what the students said about him. He was surprised however that other than a few comments about his style of robe compared to Snape's, and a conversation about how handsome he was, going on among a group of giggling girls at the Hufflepuff table, which had him smirking smugly, there was not too much open discussion about him. He had to admit, it was a welcoming change from the whispers he had become used to in the past both at Hogwarts and at Lel.

"Mr. Black," Madam Pomfrey said from a couple seats down the table and Harry looked over hesitantly. "I haven't seen you since you arrived," she said. "I realize you are just starting to settle in, but how am I to know if the potions I gave you are working if you don't come back to see me." Harry cringed slightly, that had been one of the stipulations of not staying in the hospital wing the last few days. "You should see me tonight before you retire."

"I'm fine," Harry said and then modified his statement at the glare Snape sent him. "I'm feeling much better today, thank you, and as you said, I am still settling in. I promise I'll be by first thing in the morning," he compromised politely. He really didn't want to have to spend the night in the Hospital Wing, no matter how much he still ached.

Madam Pomfrey looked him over with a critical eye and then nodded. "Very well, first thing in the morning though."

Harry nodded and turned to go back to his meal when Madam Hooch spoke up beside him. "Do you play Quidditch, Mr. Black?" she inquired.

Harry smiled, this was a conversation he didn't mind having. "Some. I haven't had the opportunity in a while, but I was told that I was the best seeker anyone had ever seen prior to my fifth year of schooling," he said truthfully and again Snape glared at him, this time in caution. Harry ignored him.

"Really, perhaps we can get you back on the Quidditch pitch sometime soon then," Madam Hooch said eagerly and Harry nodded in agreement before going back to his meal. He might not be able to join a house team, but that didn't mean he couldn't still play around a bit. He might not have his wings anymore, but flying was still his favorite thing to do.

Dinner was done with rather more quickly than Harry remembered, though they had arrived late, and after a few words from Dumbledore, general announcements about Hogsmeade and an upcoming Quidditch game, Harry was following Snape back towards his new rooms. Harry recalled the path they had taken to get to Snape's rooms only a week and a half ago and realized they were going that way again. Odd, they had gone the other way every other time.

"Why are we going this way?" he asked in the silent hallway.

"No students come this way," Snape said shortly.

"Oh. It doesn't bother me going the other way. The Slytherin students are going to see me down here quite a lot anyway."

"It bothers me," Snape replied. "Besides, I already have to babysit you. I don't need to watch over my students as they dawdle back to their common room also," he said with a distasteful sneer and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"And does he intend for you to tuck me in at night as well?"

"Your humor lacks desirability, Potter," Snape said dryly. "I'd sooner kill you than ever tuck you into bed."

"Ah, then we're in agreement, as I'd sooner kill you than let you," Harry quipped back and Snape snorted more than likely in disbelief rather than amusement, as they rounded the corner into the hallway that Harry and Snape's quarters were located down.

Harry was amazed at how much his perception of Snape had changed since he'd become Human again, and how much the man clearly no longer saw him as used to. The two had been having nightly conversations since his return to Hogwarts. Harry knew that Dumbledore had asked the man to help Harry adjust to being Human again, but Harry actually enjoyed their conversations.

Snape understood his so many contradicting feelings. He didn't judge his attitude and was helping him sort through his own identity problems. He understood when Harry told him of how he was told to act a certain way, had grown used to acting that way as a Vampire, and now as he was expected to act differently, he didn't know if he could. It was all great that they had come up with a background story for him, but it was he who had to deal with explaining away things that would arise suspicion on him. And he knew that there were so many things that he did differently now. These things helped to separate him from Harry Potter in the eyes of all those watching, but also made him stand out.

Harry stilled a step as he suddenly realized that Severus Snape was the only person he really trusted anymore. He had only ever really seen the Death Eater in Snape before he became a Vampire. And admittedly he looked down on him when he was a Vampire because he was a Wizard, though later he'd grown some respect for him being a Slayer, but now things were different. Harry was Human and he saw the man as an equal. They weren't all that much different now.

"Dumbledore doesn't trust me," Harry said suddenly. Through all their talks there were some things Harry hadn't shared with Snape. This was one of them and he didn't know why he brought it up now. He just felt it was the right time.

"Dumbledore's good intentions for the many do not always cater to those of the few," Snape said quietly. "His intentions are admirable, though most of what he does, I cannot advocate. However, he is a powerful Wizard with much sway in the Wizarding world and has held Hogwarts together for longer than I've been alive. He will eventually come to trust you again, but it will take time."

"You speak from experience," Harry said, didn't ask. He could only imagine how long it must have taken Dumbledore to come to trust Snape again after he'd joined Voldemort. "He is responsible for my parent's deaths," he said after a moment and Snape stopped walking. "Not directly," Harry amended as he saw the look on Snape's face. "He doesn't know that I know, but Aurelius told me. I was accepted at Lel from the day I was born, and they'd granted sanctuary to my parents and myself. Dumbledore got the letter first and refused the offer for them. He knew I was the child in the prophecy even before Voldemort did and he kept me where he wanted me. I could have been the most powerful Human Wizard at the Academy by now, and my parents could be alive."

"You don't sound as if you blame him," Snape pointed out with clear confusion in his eyes.

Harry smirked. "I don't. I'll never forgive him. I certainly will never trust him and never let him use me again, but I don't blame him." Harry lost the smirk. "If my parents had survived, had I not been the Boy-Who-Lived, had Voldemort never chosen me, had I never lived my life, I imagine the world would be a very different place right now. I never would have become a Vampire nor would I have ever become Aurelius' son. And maybe you can't understand, because he's a Vampire and you're a Slayer, but Aurelius is the only father I've even know. James Potter was never there, my uncle certainly didn't care for me at all, and Sirius wasn't around long enough. I love Aurelius, and though I may be Human now, I still see him as my father, more so than even James Potter," Harry said seriously and then continued walking, leaving Snape to follow with a thoughtful frown on his face. Harry turned to face Snape again, walking backwards. "And, who knows, maybe the magic would have gone to my head and I would have become the arrogant son of James Potter you've always seen me as," he said with the smirk back in place.

"You still are the arrogant son of James Potter, but now you're the son of an arrogant Vampire as well," Snape sneered and Harry laughed.

Harry turned back and frowned. He wasn't Aurelius son anymore, not really. He may still share some of his features, maybe some of his blood, but he could never really be Aurelius' son again. He was Human, nothing more than Human.

Harry walked on turning the corner that was a ways down the hall from the tapestry that hid his rooms, not much further away from Snape's and then suddenly swayed as an intense feeling of nausea swept over him. He grabbed at the wall as a flash of searing pain swept through his body and he collapsed to his knees. The pain was gone just as quickly, leaving Harry breathless.

"Potter, what's wrong," Snape questioned with alarm in his voice as he knelt next to Harry.

Harry looked over at the man and shook his head. "I don't know," he whispered shakily. "But I feel fine now." He looked up and noticed they were just before a pair of oddly placed pillars and then he narrowed his eyes, looking further down the corridor. He recalled the phantom memories he'd gotten the last time he'd been down here. "Professor, does your book say if there was ever a Vampire here at Hogwarts?" he asked distantly.

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry. "No, if there had been, the book would have given me the history near the moment I brought it to Hogwarts. Why?"

Harry continued to stare down the hall. "Because I think one died here."

...

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	22. The Letter

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Two – The Letter

Harry awoke late the next morning. After assuring Snape that he really didn't need to see Madam Pomfrey after the bizarre episode in the hall, and then finally getting to his rooms, he had a night filled with the most peculiar nightmares he'd ever had in his life. About Vampires he'd never seen before and men in iridescent armor. And death, his death, a dozen different ways. Harry had simply chocked it up to an overactive imagination because they were most definitely only dreams.

He had hoped to get up early, certainly before breakfast. He'd wanted to get his visit with Madam Pomfrey over with, and then go through old potions texts, so that he'd be prepared for whatever Snape had in store for the fifth year potions class that he was supposed to help supervise first period. Needless to say, he'd slept through breakfast and had just enough time to dress and grab the fifth year text before running down the hall to the Potion's classroom. Honestly, would it really have been that much trouble for him to have his own House Elf. Kreacher never would have let him sleep so long.

The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were already filing into the class as he arrived and Snape glared at him as he shuffled in behind them, still adjusting his potion resistant over robes. "You are late, _Aiden_," Snape said from behind him after he'd shut the door and then he walked around him.

"I apologize, Professor, I overslept," Harry said honestly. "It won't happen again."

"Indeed, and I hope you are at least prepared," Snape muttered before motioning Harry to sit at a workstation he'd set up for him at the front of the classroom.

Harry nodded as he walked to the front of the room, noting the potion and ingredients that were on the blackboard with smugness as he sat down, the Befuddlement Draught. He knew this potion more than well enough. In fact, he knew how to improve upon it, make it more potent and even make the drinker go temporarily insane until given the antidote. He loved Madame Clarisse, as much of a slave driver as she was.

Harry looked over the workstation curiously as Snape instructed the students to gather their ingredients. The ingredients for the same potion were already laid out for him. Did Snape intend for him to make the potion as well? Harry could only scoff at the thought. Clearly the man hadn't been listening when Harry had said he was more than proficient at Potion brewing. He'd have the potion completed before the period was half over.

Snape came and stood over the workstation while the last of the students scurried back to their desks. Harry only raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "I assume you already know how to make this," Snape said quietly and Harry nodded, maybe he had been listening after all. "Complete the potion exactly as instructed in the text. I want to use yours as an example of what this potion is supposed to look like made correctly. This is the third time I've had them make this potion and still not even the Ravenclaws are getting it right."

Snape looked quite frustrated as he turned away from Harry and that was the only reason Harry didn't point out that perhaps Snape was the reason none of the students knew how to brew properly. Maybe it was cruel of Harry to say, the man was a brilliant Potions Master after all, but even Harry knew he was a lousy teacher. He just didn't spend enough time actually instructing the students. If he spent more time explaining the delicacies of brewing, the students would catch on faster. Harry'd had five years of the man's teaching before Madam Clarisse, and she'd practically had him start over again from the beginning to make up for it.

Harry set down his book next to the cauldron set up for him and flipped through the pages. He was just flipping passed the Draught of Peace when he noticed a letter stuck within the pages. Harry pulled it out curiously. He turned it over trying to remember who it was from when he saw a crest he'd never seen before stamped into the back. Whoever it had come from, he'd not opened it as it was still sealed.

Harry glanced up and saw the students starting to get to work, and then placed the letter into his pocket. He'd look at it later. It wouldn't do to have the fifth years finish their potions before him just because he was curious about something from his past. He'd have plenty of time to look at it later. He flipped through the rest of the book until he came to the right page and then set to work.

Snape snapped out one last order not to explode any cauldrons this time and then sat down at his desk and pulled a pile of papers to him. Harry held back a snort as he saw the bottle of red ink float over to the man and then an almost constant smirk settled onto Snape's face. Clearly the man took too much pleasure in marking up essays. Harry shook his head and started to slice his scurvy grass delicately.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly and Harry was just adding his last ingredient when he heard the first cauldron fizzle and then boil over. He didn't look up, only rolled his eyes and stirred slowly as he turned down the flame under his cauldron. At least it hadn't exploded. He finished the last stir and removed his ladle. His potion was more than completed correctly. It was perfect, flawless. Harry would love to see Snape find any kind of fault in it.

As Snape stood scolding the individual, Romilda Vane, about the importance of adding the lovage before the sneezewort, Harry looked around for a vial he could put his potion in, but didn't see one at his workstation. Perhaps Snape intended for him to leave it in the cauldron for now. Harry sat back on his stool as Snape made his rounds to each desk and then pulled out the letter he'd pocketed.

He turned it over in his hands again curiously. He didn't remember at all putting a letter in his potions text and he wondered how long ago he could have received it. There was nothing but the seal indicating where it was from on the thin envelope and Harry considered that it might have been something Sirius had sent him his fifth year that he'd never gotten a chance to open.

Harry pulled his knife toward him, intent on breaking the seal, when Snape stepped in front of him. "What is that?" he inquire.

"I don't know," Harry said and then pocketed the letter again. "It's not important, I'll find out later. I'm finished," he added, nodding to his potion.

"Indeed," Snape said looking into his cauldron critically. "Perfect," he said with the slightest bit of surprise.

"You thought anything but, I'm insulted, Professor," Harry said dryly and Snape rolled his eyes.

"Clearly you've proven you can brew. Now let us see if you can instruct, a test if you will. I want to see if you can salvage any of their potions by the end of class, _without_ doing their work for them."

Harry stared out at the students in trepidation. They were now all looking Harry's way. He breathed out lightly. He was supposed to be Snape's assistant, he might as well actually play the part. He nodded to Snape and left his workstation, the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws still watching him. He walked down the rows surveying each bubbling cauldron and workstation.

He frowned at the state of some of them and tried to work out ways he could salvage the messes quickly. When he was working with Madame Clarisse she used to put out for him various potions in different stages and have Harry figure out how to complete the potions without knowing exactly what each potion was, just what ingredients were supposed to go in each. He'd had to complete them from memory, and had perfected doing so, but he was a Vampire then and his recall a hundred times better.

Harry was Human now, but he still had the knowledge even if his thoughts were more scattered. He stared at one of the cauldrons as Snape waited, watching behind him, and the students waited to see what he would say as well. "You added the lovage too soon," he finally stated to the Ravenclaw in front of him. "To counteract use crushed valerian leaves," he said and then went to move on.

"But that's not on the ingredients list," the boy said and Harry turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Do you want your potion to fail again?" Harry questioned as Snape watched on, surprisingly not interrupting after the boy's outburst.

"No, but I don't understand why valerian leaves would make a difference," the Ravenclaw said, "Especially when it's not in the potion to begin with."

"You are a Ravenclaw so I will assume you have studied something from your third year introductory potions text," Harry said simply. "What is Valerian used for?" he asked.

The Ravenclaw frowned as he thought. "The root is in the Draught of Living Death, but we don't study that until next year," he said uncertainly.

A hand shot up from the other side of the room and Harry nodded to her. "He didn't ask what it was in, Conrad," the girl said. She too was a Ravenclaw. "He asked what it was used for. Time, the root in the Draught of Living Death measures how fast or slow the potion works. The leaves do the same, but for specific ingredients, lovage is one of them."

"Correct," Harry said and then walked over and picked up his potions text. "There is a list of ingredients in the back of each of your potions texts, included in every year's text," he said as he held his up. "I suggest you study them on your own time, they give the properties of each and what other ingredients they may effect. Brewing is a precise art, it takes practice, but mistakes will happen. With most potions if you know what you are doing, how things react, the importance of order and time, then most mistakes can be corrected quickly. Think carefully, look at your ingredients and all of you should have correct potions before the end of class." He said and then sat down again.

Snape stared at Harry thoughtfully for a moment and then looked back to the students who were still clearly waiting for something more from Harry. "You heard him," Snape barked. "Get back to work." He turned back to Harry. "There's no way all of them will have correct potions by the end of class," he stated quietly.

"We'll see. You told me not to do their work for them and short of going around to each cauldron and telling them exactly what they did wrong and why, and then giving them the answer of how to fix it, this was the best solution. I gave them how to find the answer in the most expedient way possible. The instructions are right in front of them, the ingredient list has all the answers they could need. They've all been making potions for four years. If they don't have correct potions by the end of class it won't be because they don't know how to brew properly, but because they don't know how to look."

"Clever, but we shall see. I wager more than half the class still won't have correct potions," Snape said and Harry saw several of the students glare at Snape's back.

Harry smirked. "Care to make that wager more real, Professor," he asked lightly.

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"If over seventy-five percent of the students have perfect potions by the end of every class this week, you will teach me how to make the Wolfsbane Potion. I've always wanted to learn and Madame Clarisse never had the need to study that particular potion so couldn't teach me it."

Snape nodded. "And what do I get if you lose?"

Harry smiled. "I will teach you how I was taught to bewitch the mind, ensnare the senses, and put a stopper in death," he said eloquently.

Snape raised his eyebrows. "Well then, spoils to the victor, _Aiden_."

...

Harry walked late into Defense Against the Dark Arts. He didn't know why he'd added the class to his list, especially with the track record the class held for having lousy teachers, but he figured brushing up on Wizarding Defense might be beneficial in the future. What he'd learned at Lel was completely different and catered specifically to his Vampire abilities. Harry doubted he'd be able to put most of it to practical use now. He just wasn't physically strong enough to handle that type of magic anymore.

Harry was surprised to find the class of Gryffindors and Slytherins paired up and casting spells at one another. He leaned on the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched with interest. They were practicing various types of shielding and deflecting charms it looked like. Harry fingered his wand in the pocket of his robes. He'd still not yet tried to cast anything with it and wondered if he could do this. He knew he should have tested his magic before, but he'd not wanted to do so and then find out that his magic was still messed up.

"Mr. Black," a voice boomed from the other side of the classroom, startling Harry from his thoughts. "Good of you to finally join us, but you're late."

Harry was surprised to see Kingsley Shacklebolt come through the students. He'd not seen him at dinner the night before so didn't know he was teaching here. And it was just like Dumbledore to neglect to mention that an Auror was teaching at Hogwarts. Harry pulled the note from his pocket that Madam Pomfrey had just given him and walked towards the man.

"I was in the Hospital Wing," he said as he handed the note over.

Shacklebolt took it and read it over. "She instructs that you avoid anything that could physically harm you in class today. I suppose you will be sitting out this period then."

"What, no I can do it. It's just shielding and deflecting charms, right. I can handle that," Harry insisted, not liking that he'd been at Hogwarts less than a day and he was already getting special treatment in his classes.

"If you were hit by a stray curse, Madam Pomfrey would have my head, Mr. Black. I'd rather not face that ire."

Harry bit back a smirk. He didn't blame the man. "I won't be," Harry said confidently and pulled out his wand. "I'm not going to break from blocking and deflecting curses."

Shacklebolt gave Harry an indecisive glare but then nodded his consent. "Very well, but the first curse you take, you're sitting after that."

Harry shrugged and looked around the room. "So who am I paired with then?"

"The class is evenly paired and I want to see where you are at compared with the rest of them. I'll be your partner," Shacklebolt said and Harry eyed the man with a bit of trepidation before following him to the front of the class where there was an empty space.

The students seemed to have decided to see what level Harry was at too as most of them stopped what they were doing to watch. Harry squared his shoulders as he faced Shacklebolt. The Auror didn't give Harry any warning before he shot a curse at him. Though Harry didn't have his wand raised, he instinctively brought it up, deflecting the curse with a single thought. Shacklebolt threw another curse at him and then another and Harry deflected both quickly, still without giving any type of verbal command to the spells he used.

Shacklebolt frowned slightly and then cast another series of spells at Harry, which he deflected or reversed each again with little visible effort. But what Harry wasn't showing was how warm his wand was becoming in his hand with each spell he cast. Though he didn't stop or let go of his wand as Shacklebolt continued to cast at him, faster and faster, while the students watched on in awe as Harry deflected all of them silently, even making several of the curses rebound back at the Auror, forcing him to block his own spells. Finally, Kingsley seemed to have enough of Harry practically out casting him, and cast an over powered Stupefy. Harry threw up a powerful shield and the spell splashed against it just as Harry was forced to drop his wand as it physically burnt his hand.

As soon the wand was out of his hand though, Harry realized that it hadn't been the wand at all, but the center of his palm was actually burning under the skin. Harry stared at it for a moment before he realized what was happening and knew he couldn't hold it any longer. He immediately pointed his palm at the floor, sending the rune he'd unintentionally formed into the stone at his feet. The stone glowed white hot before exploding outward, causing Harry to jump back and block his face or get hit by the debris.

"What the hell was that?" Shacklebolt shouted not a moment later, coming to tower over Harry.

"I'm sorry," Harry said breathlessly, clutching his hand into a fist. "I didn't mean to."

"Was that a rune?" Hermione suddenly asked making Harry look over at her for the first time since entering the classroom.

"Yes, sorry," Harry said cringing slightly. He didn't see any reason to deny it, if Hermione had recognized it for what it was Shacklebolt certainly must have as well. Harry suddenly yelped as Shacklebolt grabbed hold of his arm and pushed down his sleeve, exposing his wrist and the still glowing runic circle there.

"You're a Mage!" Shacklebolt exclaimed, releasing Harry as he stared at him with a mixture of wonder and fear in his eyes. The students stared at Harry with a mixture of their own expressions on their faces. Some of them were confused, others were shocked, and many of the Slytherins were looking at Harry with awe in their eyes. Harry didn't have a clue any of them would know what the marks on his wrists would even mean.

"Umm, no," Harry denied hesitantly.

"Class dismissed!" Shacklebolt barked and then he grabbed Harry's arm again and pulled him out of the classroom. "You're coming with me!"

Harry had no choice but to follow.

Neither of them noticed Hermione pick up Harry's wand, looking at it thoughtfully.

...

"He's a Mage, Albus! What the hell is he doing here at Hogwarts? He should be at Lel Academy where they teach that kind of magic," Shacklebolt ranted to Dumbledore as Harry sat impatiently around the corner in Dumbledore's sitting area.

For five years, Harry had attended Hogwarts and had heard nothing about Lel, and now it almost seemed as if everyone knew something about it. He already knew half the students in his Defense class were thinking along the same lines as Kingsley. It was written across their faces.

"He _was_ at the Academe de Lel," Dumbledore finally said and Shacklebolt fell silent. "Do to circumstances beyond his control he's no longer welcome there."

"Who is he really, Albus?" Kingsley demanded.

Dumbledore breathed out heavily. "It's not my place to tell you."

"Then someone damn well better! There is a reason Lel snatches up Wizards with the potential to become Mages. They're too powerful for our society. They can be deadly dangerous. I don't understand how he can even be allowed here. Certainly, the Board of Governors would have rejected him the moment he got accepted to Lel. All Wizarding schools are required to, the only way he could possibly have been accepted is if he…" Kingsley trailed off. "He was already a student here when he got accepted at Lel. Albus, who is he?"

"Aiden, come here please," Dumbledore said almost too quietly for Harry to hear.

Harry hesitated. He knew what Dumbledore wanted, but Kingsley was an Auror, he worked for the ministry that still had him listed as a wanted criminal, a murderer. He stood and walked around the corner. He glanced at Shacklebolt. The man looked like he wasn't going to accept anything less than the truth and Harry doubted that Dumbledore would allow Kingsley to be Obliviated.

"Can I trust you?" he asked. Kingsley glanced at Dumbledore and then nodded. "Can I really trust you?" Harry asked again. "Because you are an Auror and I know at the moment I can't trust them."

Kingsley frowned at that. "For Merlin's sake, yes you can trust me, what is this all about? Who are you?"

"Harry Potter," Harry said.

"What?"

"I am Harry Potter," Harry said again and Kingsley's eyes grew comically wide. "Nice to see you again, Kingsley."

"But you're dead and–" Kingsley said haltingly and then sat down heavily in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. "What happened to you?" he said after a few moments of just staring up at Harry, clearly taking in his new appearance and perhaps looking for the old Harry as well.

Harry glanced at Dumbledore before he sat down himself. "If I tell you the truth, am I going to be hunted down by the ministry?" Harry asked carefully.

"I may be an Auror, but I'm Dumbledore's man, not the minister's. Just tell me first that you didn't murder Vernon Dursley," Shacklebolt said seriously.

Harry sighed. He'd defended himself over and over again about what had happened that night, but he hadn't actually told anyone the full details, which was probably a good indication of why Dumbledore didn't trust him. Harry supposed his attitude the last weeks hadn't helped either, but something in him wanted Kingsley to believe him. Maybe because the man was an Auror, he was the law. If Shacklebolt was willing to listen, then others might be as well. He didn't know if he wanted his old life back or what, but he wanted this man, and for whatever reason, Dumbledore to know the truth.

Harry leaned forward a bit as he looked into Kingsley's eyes. "I did kill him," he said resolutely. "But I didn't murder him. It was an accident. I was arguing with Uncle Vernon because my owl had come back late and he'd seen her fly into my window. He was about to be hosting a dinner party and was sure that if he'd seen my owl, that others must have as well. I don't really remember now what was said, what started the real argument, but one moment we were shouting at one another and the next he hit me. My magic hit him back. We were at the top of the stairs and then he was at the bottom. I didn't touch him. I swear to you on that."

Kingsley only nodded for Harry to go on.

"I know I should have stayed where I was, but I panicked. I gathered my belongings and I fled. I didn't know where to go, but I knew I couldn't go back so I took the Knight Bus to the Weasleys. I was going to explain to them what happened and deal with things from there, but I never made it to the Burrow. I was halfway up their drive when I was attacked. I remember seeing Mrs. Weasley in the window, Remus at the door, and then I was being dragged into the woods."

Harry looked over at Dumbledore as he continued. "Aurelius told me that he'd been watching me for a while. That he'd had plans of turning me all along, but was going to get my consent first when I was of age. Instead, he decided to take advantage of the situation I had found myself in and turned me early. I may not have said yes, but I don't regret that he turned me."

"I don't understand," Kingsley interrupted. "You were turned? Into what, you're clearly Human now, as different as you look."

Harry looked back at him again. "You're a Pureblood, you know about Lel so I assume you've read about the split in the Magical World and the extinction of the day-wanders?"

"Yes, every Auror is made to learn that history. The day-wandering Vampires and the Wizarding World joined together to wipe out the Prowlers, shortly after that, the Wizarding Slayers turned on the Vampires and started hunting them until there was no more of them."

Harry shook his head. "Lies, the Slayers weren't the ones who turned on us, them. The Wizards did. They thought that they were dangerous because they were similar to the Prowlers. The Elders decreed that the day-wandering Vampires would go into hiding and cut themselves off completely from the Wizarding World. Only the Slayers would know about them, but they were made to take an oath on their life. The day-wanderers are still out there and the only reason you and I are alive right now as I tell you this is because Voldemort made a mistake in allying himself with the Prowlers."

"You were a Vampire?" Kingsley asked with shock in his eyes.

Harry nodded. "I was. Obviously I'm not now. Aurelius, the Elder of the Vampire Clan Saleio, was the one who attacked me that night. He turned me, made me his son, and for the last year I've been studying at Lel. I was captured by a Prowler a few months ago and I kill him, but the Elders didn't want to believe that the Prowlers were back. I've spent the last few weeks trying to both convince them that the Prowlers were back, and that we should reveal ourselves to the Wizarding World, but I was ignored until I was attacked by another Prowler. A, umm, friend of mine's mate is a Squib who's been writing to her family here in Britain secretly. I took the letter and gave it to the Council, claiming I was the one writing the Witch. The letter proved two things; first that the Prowlers really were back and second that the oath had been broken in some fashion. I took advantage of that and convinced the Elders that the Wizarding world knew about us being alive."

"You've been telling the truth about everything," Dumbledore suddenly said quietly with a shamed frown on his face.

"Since I've been back, I've not lied to you about anything," Harry said seriously. "Other than my bitterness about being Human again, I've given you no reason to distrust me. If anything I should be the one not trusting you." Dumbledore looked up at Harry with confusion in his eyes and Harry fought not to roll his own. "Please, don't try denying that you rejected Lel's offer of sanctuary for my family, Aurelius told me everything."

Confusion only grew in Dumbledore's eyes and Harry's certainty of what Aurelius had told him started to fall, and fell further at Dumbledore's next words. "I did receive an offer of sanctuary for your family. They indicated that you had been accepted there and had heard that your family was being hunted by Voldemort. I accepted it for them. I knew it was far safer than the Fidelius Charm. Before I could tell your parents though, I received another letter from Lel. They rescinded their offer. They didn't give an explanation as to why."

Harry shook his head. "Aurelius wouldn't have lied to me. He told me you rejected Lel's offer."

"Perhaps you were all lied to," Shacklebolt interjected and Dumbledore and Harry looked at each other thoughtfully. "But what I don't understand in all this, is how you are Human again?"

"I fear the blame lies with me on that. I am sorry, Harry, I shouldn't have let her take you," Dumbledore said heavily.

"I may hate being Human, but I've already forgiven you in that, Professor. You had no choice, just as I had no choice in going with her. Fear is a Prowler's game. They'll use it any way they can, believe me. I would have done the same in your position. Besides, you didn't know what she had planned for me, I didn't know, didn't even suspect."

"The Prowler who threatened the school, you were who she wanted?" Shacklebolt asked and then his eyes widened. "You were the creature that broke the wards, the one no one would tell me about!" he exclaimed.

Harry smirked at Dumbledore and his secretive ways, as the man nodded. "I swore those present to secrecy. And then Harry looked so different after he was turned Human, I saw no reason to bring it up again. No one recognized him, I barely recognized him when I saw him again."

Shacklebolt only shook his head before he looked back up to Harry curiously. "Why did the Prowler want you in the first place?"

Dumbledore looked to Harry as well. Harry hadn't told anyone the real reason Sarae had wanted to turn him, not completely. He'd told them that she wanted to control him, use him against everyone, but nothing else. He hadn't told them why he was able to become Human again. He didn't want anyone to know that he was technically born a Vampire, but his magic was suppressing the gene that would have given him back everything he'd lost. If he thought there was a possibility of becoming a Vampire again, he would have attempted to remove his magic by now and activate the gene, but he knew that would just kill him.

"I don't know, she wanted to control me," Harry said evenly, not looking at either man. "She called me kin and I had suspected that Prowlers were once Vampires. If that's so, perhaps we _were_ kin in her eyes."

"You know something more," Dumbledore observed and Harry looked up at him.

"She told me how the Prowlers were created, that she and Djaq, the one who captured me and I killed, were the first, that they had once been day-wanderers. She said that I needed to become Human to be turned the way she turned Voldemort. Because the Vampire who created her disappeared a long time ago," Harry said truthfully, but that was all he was going to say on the matter.

...

Harry was late to lunch because of his discussion with Dumbledore and Shacklebolt, but he was glad to once again sit down between Hagrid and Madam Hooch's empty seats, so he could actually get some food. After the question and answer session, Harry had explained to Shacklebolt what had happened during class. How he had been so focused on deflecting curses, that he'd unconsciously formed a rune, or at least that was what he supposed. But instead of releasing the rune as he should have, he'd held it too long. He'd promised both Shacklebolt and Dumbledore that he'd be more careful in the future and learn to separate the two very different forms of magic.

Dumbledore was amazed when Shacklebolt told him how well Harry had done against him and Harry admitted that he was surprised himself as it was the first time he'd used a wand in over a year. It was almost too easy, which Harry thought was strange because he'd had such a hard time with his magic when he was a Vampire and that was supposed to come naturally to him. Before Harry had left, they'd all decided that they would let the students speculate amongst themselves about Harry's ability with runes, but if someone asked, Harry would tell them that his father had taught him, which was partially true in a roundabout way. Aurelius had taught those who had then taught him.

Harry looked up from his food as his wand was suddenly placed down in front of him. "I don't think you would like to lose this, _Aiden_," Shacklebolt said. "It's rather easily recognizable and I'm surprised I didn't notice it before. Miss Granger had it," he said pointedly.

Harry looked at Kingsley oddly for a moment and then he suddenly understood what he meant. Anyone who really knew him would know what his wand looked like. Harry picked it up and put it into the pocket of his robes. "Did _Miss Granger_ say anything about it?" he asked as he absently pulled out an envelope from the same pocket. It was the letter he'd found earlier in his potion's text. He'd forgotten it was there.

"Only that she thought it was cursed, but I assured her it wasn't." Shacklebolt lowered his voice and leaned forward over the table. "I believe she suspects something, and as you well know, she is very clever and rarely wrong."

Harry nodded. "I'll keep an eye on her."

Shacklebolt nodded and then walked down the table to the other end. Harry looked in the direction of the Gryffindors as he picked up his knife and sliced open the top of the letter. He probably shouldn't have had his friends Obliviated, he knew somehow that it was going to eventually come back and bite him in the neck.

Harry was surprised when Snape suddenly sat down beside him and started fixing a plate for himself. "The second years are working on Swelling Solution this afternoon. I hope you're prepared to lose our wager."

"I haven't lost yet," Harry said smugly, as he pulled out the letter that was inside the envelope.

"Is that what was taking up your attention in class earlier?" Snape asked, looking pointedly at the letter.

Harry nodded, frowning slightly as he unfolded the letter absently and looked up to answer Snape. "I found it in my potions text. Apparently I hadn't opened it yet, but I don't remember ever putting it in there," he said and then really looked at the letter. His eyes scanned over it quickly and then widened as he scanned over it again just to make sure. "Merlin, it's from my dad," he breathed.

"Aurelius?" questioned Snape.

"No, James," he muttered and then quickly got up. "Excuse me," he said as he walked out of the Hall with the letter in his hands, still staring at it with wide eyes. He didn't notice Snape get up and follow after him, but he did notice when he followed him into an empty classroom and shut the door firmly behind them.

"Did you say James?" he asked. "James Potter?"

Harry nodded as he pulled out his wand and laid the brief letter flat on a desk. Snape looked over his shoulder at the letter curiously.

_My son,_

_Reveal what is hidden within only among those you trust._

_JP_

Harry glanced at Snape briefly and then ran his wand over the letter. Nothing happened. Staring at the paper thoughtfully, Harry ran his wand down it again. "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_," he said clearly. The brief script melted into the paper and then words started to form quickly as the parchment grew slightly in size. Harry picked the new letter up and began to read.

_Harry,_

_It is good to know that you have come across the spare bit of parchment the Maunders have left behind. Though I'm sorry to say that if you are reading this then I, and most probably your mother as well, are gone from this world. It is a sad day that I find it necessary to write you this letter, but I fear I will not be here much longer and certainly not long enough to impart what I know I must onto your shoulders. I had hoped that I would be there on your sixteenth birthday, to give to you your birthright as my father has done for me and his father before him, but sadly, circumstances are as they must be._

_The Potter Line has had a secret from near its founding, a secret that I'm afraid will change the way you view the world around you. It is a secret that must be kept, for it could put your life in danger if it is known to the wrong people. It is a secret that once a part of you; you will never be rid of. The Potters are all part of a Covenant, bound through blood, oath, and magic._

_We have all sworn over the generations to protect the world from darkness in any form, anything that wishes to squash those of good. This does not mean that we destroy those who are considered dark by chance, but rather those who are dark by choice. I'm sure you have already learned about Vampires and Werewolves at Hogwarts. I hope you have learned about a particular Werewolf. They have freewill and it is their choices we look at, not what they are. Most call us Slayers, as it is what the Vampires have come to know us as, but we are protectors above all else._

_In the Potter vault, there is a chest. I have left within it the Potter Covenant Tome. It is a book that gives the history of our Covenant, from its conception to present. It also lists all of the Vampire Clans, Werewolf Clans, and Slayer Covens to date. It is self-updating and only those of a Covenant line can touch it. I implore you to take it from the vault and keep it with you. One day you may find the need for it, and it is better to have it on hand than not._

_Though the Potter Line is bound in blood to the Covenant, we have a choice of whether or not to carry this secret on to another generation. I'm sorry to say that I have taken that choice from you, my son. You should be receiving this letter one month subsequent to your sixteenth birthday. Within twenty-four hours, your blood will reveal the mark I've left on you this day in 1981 and your magic will bind you to the Covenant bound to the Potter Family._

_I'm not happy that I had to make this choice for you, Harry. Part of the birthright is the ability to choose whether or not to accept it, but I needed to make a decision for the future of the Potter Line. I am hopeful that the power bequeathed upon you when the Covenant activates will help you in the future, and will serve to protect you from what I fear is coming._

_There is darkness in our world that has nothing to do with Vampires and Werewolves. There are Wizards who wish to see us dead for our good hearts and strong will. They have targeted our family because they believe themselves to be right and us to be wrong. We are going into hiding two days from now, but I have a heavy heart and I fear it will not be enough._

_I hope that you have grown to become a strong and brave young man, and wish that I could have seen you live your life. Know that I and your mother are watching over you always, even if we cannot be there for you physically._

_All my love,_

_Your Father, James Potter_

_..._

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	23. The Broken Covenant

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Three – The Broken Covenant

Harry dropped the letter onto the desk in front of him and stared down at it for a long moment. "How am I alive?" he finally spoke without looking up.

Snape seemed to snap out of his own staring contest with the parchment as he turned to look at Harry. "One month after your sixteenth birthday," he said thoughtfully. "You were turned that night, before your magic could activate the Covenant. You changed and stopped ageing. Your magic did so as well. Had Aurelius waited even one day, you would have died from the turning."

Harry shook his head and stepped away from Snape and the letter. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm a Vampire!"

"What?"

"I should not have been able to be marked at all!" Harry said with a bit of hysteria in his voice as he grabbed at his hair. He was almost used to being the exception to the rule, but this was too much.

"Potter, what are you talking about?" Snape suddenly snapped as he grabbed Harry's shoulders and made him look at him.

Harry took in a deep breath and then released it. "I'm a born Vampire," he said firmly, looking up into Snape's eyes.

"The blood ritual Aurelius did when you were a Vampire was undone when you became Human–"

Harry pulled away from Snape and shook his head again. "No, it's not that. Sarae told me… She said I have a dormant Vampire gene, which was why I was able to become Human again in the first place. I'm a born Vampire," he repeated.

"How?" questioned Snape.

"I don't know from what side of my family the gene comes from, Sarae didn't tell me, but now I suppose it was from my mother. It couldn't have come from James," Harry said quietly. "The gene is being suppressed by magic that was bequeathed by the Vampire who first created the Prowlers. I'm his blood and magical Heir apparently," Harry said seriously, bitterly, looking back up at Snape. "It's why Sarae wanted me in the first place. Why she called me kin and why she wants to control me. I shouldn't be alive right now."

Snape shook his head. "No, the Covenant must still be dormant. There can be no other explanation."

"It's not," Harry said resolutely.

"Harry, even with a suppressed Vampire gene, you cannot be a Slayer. The Covenant isn't just part of our magic. It is part of our blood. If it were active, you would not be standing here right now," Snape said seriously.

Harry stared at Snape for a long moment and then began to pull off his robes, dropping them on the floor.

"What are you doing?"

"My dad said the mark would be visible twenty-four hours after I received that letter, right?" Harry said, and then turned and pulled his shirt off over his head. "I didn't notice it before I was attacked. I never looked because I didn't want to see the scars, and then after – I thought it was just part of the other bruising from being thrown to the floor by those Vampires." Snape stepped forward with wide eyes as Harry looked over his shoulder at him. "That's the Mark of the Covenant isn't it?" he asked as Snape lightly ran his hand over the area between Harry's scarred shoulder blades, over a deep purple swirl pattern, and then pulled his hand away quickly.

"Yes," he said tightly, and then turned away with a frown. "Put your shirt back on."

Harry pulled his shirt back on quickly and then turned to look at Snape fully. "I think it appeared the day after I became Human again. I changed back, my magic changed back, and I started to age again. When I was in the hospital, I tried to escape before the doctor could see me. I moved like I hadn't since I was a Vampire. And then today I dueled with Kingsley in class and I didn't even have to think about what I was doing. I just acted. Tell me honestly, that all of that doesn't mean that the Covenant isn't active."

Snape leaned heavily on his hands against one of the desks and stared over at the letter with a deep frown on his face. "How are you alive?" he whispered.

"Good question," Harry scoffed grimly.

"You weren't in my book!" Snape suddenly snapped.

"Maybe it was confused on where to put me," Harry said sardonically.

"No, not you, your father, James was never in my book," Severus said seriously, looking back up at Harry with a look in his eyes that set Harry's nerves on edge. "The Potter Line is not in my book!" he nearly snarled.

Harry frowned in confusion and a bit of apprehension. He'd never seen Snape this unhinged before. "What does that mean?" he asked, and Severus' eyes darkened before he forcefully looked away from Harry with his jaw clenched. "What?" Harry questioned with alarm in his voice.

"Nothing," Snape muttered, still not looking at Harry.

Harry shook his head and then stormed over to Snape. "No, you know something! What is it?"

"I know nothing," Snape said tightly, turning away from Harry again, but Harry grabbed onto the front of his robes tightly, not caring that he was essentially manhandling his professor.

"What is it, Snape? You can't keep this from me. Whatever it is, I don't care. I need to know!"

Snape looked down at Harry's hands fisted in his robes and then back up into Harry's eyes, and before Harry could even blink, he was pinned back against the desk behind him with Snape's hand tightly around his throat, but not choking him.

"The Broken Covenant, damn it!" he snarled, and Harry stilled his attempt to get away as he stared into Snape's black eyes in numb shock. If what Snape was suggesting was true… Harry shook his head slightly in denial. Snape loosened his grip, though he didn't back away as he stared down into Harry's eyes intently, clearly willing him to believe it.

"No," Harry finally managed to whisper and then he shakily pulled out of Snape's grasp and moved away from him. "No," he said again more firmly.

"Yes," Snape insisted, again not looking at Harry.

"No!" Harry shouted. "It's not possible, and my family would never be part of something like that!"

"It is the only explanation. How you can be a Vampire and still bear the Mark of the Covenant, why you aren't in my book. The Potter Line is part of The Broken Covenant," Snape said gravely.

Harry shook his head again. He didn't want to believe it, but it made sense the more he thought about it, and for more reasons than Snape knew. He was immune to Dark Silver. His blood could manipulate the Dark Silver and give the Vampires immunity to it. His magic was different…

"The Broken Covenant were wiped out for a reason," Snape suddenly whispered harshly, regrettably, and Harry looked back up at him in trepidation. "They were called Destroyers for the same reason."

Harry took an uneasy step back when he saw Snape now had his wand in his hand. Snape took a step forward and then another. Harry continued to back away. He discreetly reached for his own wand and then realized he'd left it on the desk with the letter, which was now behind Snape. Harry stopped when his legs hit the teacher's desk behind him, Snape didn't. He towered over him.

"The Covens swore to put an end to the Destroyers," Snape whispered forebodingly.

Anger suddenly washed over Harry and he grabbed the front of Snape's robes again in an attempt to push the man away. "I'm not a Destroyer!" he shouted into his face when he couldn't get Snape to move, and then the both of them froze as the door to the classroom swung open and a group of students stopped in the doorway with wide eyes, gaping at them.

"Severus, Mr. Black? What is going on here?" McGonagall's voice suddenly carried over the shocked group of third years.

Harry and Snape quickly looked from the Professor back to each other with wide eyes themselves and then both flushed in embarrassment as they realized the position it looked like they were in. Snape leaning over Harry, Harry's robes on the floor, his shirt rumpled, his hands fisted in Snape's robes…

"Nothing!" they both exclaimed at the same time as they jumped away from one another, glaring daggers at each other.

Flustered, McGonagall ordered the students out of the classroom as she came into it, and then closed the door behind her. Harry quickly walked over and grabbed the letter from the desk he'd left it on, and stuffed it into his pocket before she could see it. He grabbed his robes from the floor and pocketed his wand. Snape went to McGonagall, who was staring at the two with an outraged look on her face.

"It's not in any way what it looks like," Snape said quickly, and then straightened out his rumpled robes.

"Severus… I know your still young and he's, well – but he's a - are you sleeping with a student?" McGonagall suddenly stuttered out with a scandalized tone.

"Certainly not!"

Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing, nearly falling to the floor as he doubled over. After the seriousness of the situation, to have McGonagall insinuate something so far from the truth. Snape glared at him before turning back to the woman.

"I assure you, Minerva, I would never sleep with him," he sneered.

Harry snorted at that. "You can't seriously think she'll believe that," he said while trying to get his laughing under control.

"Shut up, _Aiden_!" Snape snarled just before the door opened again.

"I'm interrupting something," Dumbledore observed as the three turned to look at him.

"Yes you are, and apparently so was I. Albus, Severus is sleeping with a student!" McGonagall declared.

Harry gasped in mock horror, "By Merlin, really, what a scandal."

Dumbledore looked between Harry and Snape and then rolled his eyes, completely unfazed by McGonagall's accusation. "Unfortunately, whatever your quarrel is with each other it now will have to wait. Harry, come with me, there's something you need to see," he said gravely.

"What is it?" Harry asked, sobering at Dumbledore's tone and really hoping that whatever it was wasn't going to be more life altering news. He really didn't know how much more he could take.

"Wait, Harry?" McGonagall questioned, looking in shock between Dumbledore and Harry.

"I will explain," Dumbledore said. "But not right now. Follow me, all of you."

Harry and Snape traded a look and then followed Dumbledore out of the classroom without question, passing the whispering students outside the door. McGonagall quickly dismissed them and then rushed to keep up with the three men.

"What is happening, Albus?" she asked, glancing at Harry and then back to Dumbledore. "You've been keeping far too much from us lately."

Dumbledore didn't answer McGonagall, just led them down the hall and then down into the Entrance Hall. He pushed opened the doors and stepped outside. Once Harry and the others had followed, he pointed towards the castle gates in the distance, and what lay beyond them and presumably the wards.

"Are they going to be a problem?" he asked Harry.

Harry's eyes widened as he realized who he was seeing, it was Josef and Vantesh, but what were they doing here? He moved to go to them, but Dumbledore stopped him. "They aren't a problem," Harry assured. "That's Aurelius' brother, and the Clan's healer," he explained. "I don't know what they're doing here, but they won't harm anyone."

"Remus came to me the morning after you arrived here. He was accosted by those two outside of Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore said seriously. "They were looking for you."

"What? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Harry demanded.

"I didn't believe they were going to come looking for you again after what Remus told them," he confessed.

"I can only imagine what Remus told them," Harry muttered and then started to move towards the two Vampires again, but Snape grabbed his arm, stopping him this time. He glanced at Dumbledore and McGonagall before pulling him away from the other two Professors, who looked at them curiously.

"Remember what we just discovered," he whispered seriously. "They'll know the moment you get closed to them."

Harry glared into Snape's onyx eyes. "Were you going to kill me had those students not walked in?" he questioned quietly enough that the other two couldn't hear.

Snape released Harry abruptly and stepped away. "No. I just wanted you to understand how serious this is. Other Slayers do not have my restraint."

"I understand," Harry said firmly. "And they won't harm me," he said with confidence that he didn't actually feel, and then turned and walked towards the gate knowing that he and Snape were not finished by any stretch of the imagination. But he was only going to deal with one thing at a time. He was only mostly Human after all.

Harry chewed on his lip uneasily as he moved toward the Vampires, surprised that the others didn't follow him. He could feel the Professor's watching as he walked down the slopping path, but he didn't look back. Vantesh and Josef walked towards him a few feet, but stopped some distance from the open gates. Harry assumed that the wards prevented them from going further. Though he doubted that the wards would hold them back if they really wanted to get in, which was why Harry was almost positive that they weren't here to hurt anyone in the school, but he was still nervous about confronting them.

If it really was true that the Potter Line was part of The Broken Covenant, then he may have more than just a Prowler hunting him. Harry didn't know the full history behind The Broken Covenant, but he did know that what they had done was supposed to have gotten them wiped from the earth. How his family could be a part of it, Harry didn't know, but he was determined to find out.

Harry stopped just outside the gate. "Hello," he said uneasily as the two Vampires stared at him.

"What did you do?" Josef suddenly snapped still staring at Harry unblinkingly.

"Difficult question that," Harry sighed.

"You cannot be a Slayer," Vantesh said uncertainly.

"Apparently I can," Harry muttered and then walked the rest of the way towards them, through the wards, showing the two that he trusted them still, even though he was Human, and a Slayer, and they were making him nervous as all hell. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We came to bring you back," Josef said plainly. "However, I am beginning to believe what the Werewolf told us is true."

"What?"

"He said you wanted nothing more to do with us," Vantesh clarified.

"That's a lie!" Harry denied.

"You are a Slayer," Josef snarled angrily and Harry took a step back uncertainly. "Tell us that is a lie!"

Harry stared at the two. Vantesh was looking between Harry and Josef uncertainly and Josef was angrier than Harry had ever seen him before. Harry suddenly understood why. A slayer had killed Josef's mate. Harry looked back towards the school, and then steeling himself, he turned back to the Vampires. "It wasn't by choice, but umm, I may be a Destroyer," he said resolutely.

Both Vampires stared at him for a moment and then Vantesh suddenly grabbed his arm and within the next second, all three of them were gone from the grounds outside Hogwarts. Harry stumbled and nearly fell where they reappeared, but was caught from behind by Josef as Vantesh released him and walked away hurriedly. That was when he realized that they were in the entrance hall of Saleio Manor.

"I'm pretty sure Dumbledore's not going to be happy about this," he muttered under his breath as he looked around nervously. He sure hoped they'd only brought him here to talk.

"It was amusing to see his expression before I left," Josef agreed and then rounded on Harry. "What do mean you may be a Destroyer?" he demanded.

"What am I doing here?" Harry asked instead of answering and Josef growled lightly. He knew it was dangerous not to answer, but he'd rather avoid the question until he had time to figure it all out himself.

"I would like to know that as well," a voice said from behind Harry and Harry turned to see Aurelius walking into the entrance hall. "I told you to give him a choice, not kidnap him. We already have enough problems with the Wizards…" He fell silent and stilled mid-step when he got closer to Harry. "What did you do?"

"I asked the very same thing, Brother, and do you know what he told us?" Josef said placing his hands firmly on Harry's shoulders, squeezing almost painfully as Aurelius looked at him expectantly. "He said he may be a Destroyer," he hissed next to Harry's ear.

Aurelius moved too swiftly for Harry to see, stopping in front of him, his eyes glowing. Harry would have shrunk back if not for Josef's grasp on his shoulders. "That's not possible."

"I didn't ask for it. I don't understand it. And I'm still kind of hoping it's not true," Harry said tensely, feeling very trapped between the two Elder Vampires. "But umm, I have the Mark of the Covenant given to me by my f – by James Potter, and if what Sarae told me is true, I've got at least a drop of Vampire blood in me as well. It's the only explanation I have. And my family name isn't in Severus Snape's book as it should be."

Aurelius stood in front of Harry for a long moment before walking away without saying anything. Harry felt the rejection from his father settle over him harshly. He was about to demand to be returned to Hogwarts when Aurelius spun back around.

"You will be a Vampire again, and then we will explore this connection to The Broken Covenant," Aurelius announced and Harry nearly stopped breathing.

"What?"

"You can become a Vampire again," Josef said, loosening his hold on Harry's shoulders and moving away.

"How?" asked Harry, turning his head to look at the Vampire.

"By depleting your magic," Vantesh said, coming back into the hall. He glanced at Aurelius and Josef. "Masters, I still believe it should be his choice," he said and then looked back at Harry. "It could kill you," he said seriously.

Harry frowned as he began to reason out what would have to happen. He'd thought about it himself. Taking away his magic long enough for the Vampire gene to take over, but he hadn't thought it a possibility because of the risk. A Wizard's magic was so completely a part of them, that taking it away was like taking away their blood.

But the way he was right now, sure he was alive, he was healthy, but he wasn't living. He was hiding. He was pretending to be someone else, someone he wasn't. His life wasn't his own as much as he wanted it to be. As long as he was Human, he knew he'd never have the power to just be himself. And he knew that he was only going to end up being someone's puppet in the end, whether it was Sarae's or Dumbledore's, or the Ministry of Magic. Being Human, he knew he couldn't stop that from happening.

Harry squared his shoulders, his mind made up. "I'll need to cast the most powerful spells that I can handle over and over again and keep casting even after I'm exhausted. It'll have to be runes. My wand can't handle that. It'll take hours and I'm going to need something that'll keep me awake, physically keep me going or I'll pass out before my Magic is depleted. And something to take away pain, or help me ignore it at any rate. I can only imagine how much my body is going to protest to this."

Vantesh nodded. "I'll see what I can come up with," he said and then turned to leave.

Harry took a cautious step towards Aurelius after Vantesh was gone. "Father… I'm sorry Father," he whispered. He didn't know what else to say. All of this was his fault. He may not have had a choice in becoming Human again, but he had chosen in lying to his father to begin with.

Aurelius nodded in acceptance of his apology and then swept out of the hall without a word. Harry stared after him and then turned to Josef.

"I need to return to Hogwarts."

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	24. To Be Me

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Four – To Be Me

Josef and Harry appeared not where Harry expected them too. They were in the forbidden forest, not too far from the castle's wards. Harry could see the towers of Hogwarts through the trees, but not the entirety of the school. He could also see the edge of the forest, but not Hagrid's cabin. Harry supposed they were closer to the Quidditch pitch then. But why did Josef bring him here? Harry looked at the Vampire questioningly and a bit warily.

"We need to talk, you and I," Josef said simply and then leaned against a nearby tree almost casually, though Harry could see that Josef's muscles were tense on his crossed arms.

"If this is about me becoming a Slayer, I –"

"It is not," Josef said shortly. "I dislike Slayers, true, and I am not happy about it. However, I cannot afford to despise all of them for the actions of one, five hundred years ago. Nor can I change your predicament."

"Then what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Your need to return to Hogwarts, my nephew," he said simply. "I did not question it at the manor, however before I return you there, I want to know why you are so insistent."

"The wizards could help us, even in a small part. Vampires use magic differently to wizards and as I'm still technically a wizard, it'll be easier to hold my magic for them," Harry explained but Josef shook his head.

"Not at this moment," he said and took a step towards Harry. "I have not known you long, nor has my brother shared much about you with me, however from what I have observed; you have been very intent on returning to that school." Josef pointed towards Hogwarts and Harry's gaze followed. "I want to know why."

Harry thought about that himself. It was true that he had wanted to return to Hogwarts, almost since the moment he'd left the Wizarding world. He'd lied to his father to get back here, put his own existence at risk. And now that he was back, he only felt like an intruder, an impostor, like he didn't belong. Being back at the school wasn't like it had once been. It was missing something.

Harry suddenly smiled slightly. He did think he knew why he always wanted to return. It had nothing to do with his visions. It had nothing to do with wanting to protect his old friends, his old life. Hogwarts was his first home. He was never welcome at the Dursleys. He'd felt exactly as he felt now with them, but when he'd got accepted to Hogwarts he'd felt whole, complete, because he could be who he was and not what anyone else wanted him to be.

"That's why I don't feel welcome here anymore," Harry whispered to himself while Josef stared at him. "Because I'm trying to be someone I'm not." Harry looked at Josef. "Have you ever been inside Hogwarts?" he asked and Josef shook his head. "There is something about that school that wants you to be yourself and not someone anyone else wants you to be. Call it magic or whatever you want, but when I first came to Hogwarts, I was home for the first time in my entire life. I was whole, but I haven't truly felt that feeling since I left. There's always been a part of me missing, or hidden. I guess I wanted that feeling back, even if I didn't know it."

Josef continued to stare at him. "I was not expecting that answer, however I believe that it is the most honest thing you have ever said to me."

Harry thought about that statement, he was probably right. He turned to look back at Hogwarts. "We should probably go before a search party is sent out for me."

"There is one more thing we need to discuss before going back there," Josef said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry tensed involuntarily. "You are losing what you've been taught," he said seriously, releasing him.

Harry stood up straighter. "You think me becoming Human has made me lose touch with my Vampire side." He uncertainly looked back at Josef. "Well I can assure you, that I haven't been Human long enough to have forgotten what it is like to be a Vampire. That's why I despise being Human so much, I know what I've lost," he said heatedly.

Josef raised a hand to brush a piece hair out of his face. Harry stiffened unconsciously and Josef dropped his hand. "That is one of the things I am worried about. You are afraid of us," he whispered.

Harry shook his head in denial, but couldn't put words to his protest. He wasn't afraid, but he was unsettled standing so near to Josef. He didn't trust him fully. Though, he was pretty sure Josef wouldn't hurt him.

"It is natural to be afraid of us, for a Human. It is part of the magic that makes us what we are. It unnerves mortals, much like the Prowlers instill fear into all creatures. But if you do not get control over this fear before you become a Vampire again, it will follow you. I fear it will make you weak."

"And Aurelius can't have a weak Heir," Harry stated in understanding. "It's not enough that I am powerful. I have to have the presence, the attitude of an Heir as well, or the Elders will never take me seriously," Harry repeated what Aurelius had often told him.

"I know you know this. I still believe you can be my brother's Heir again, but you never would have backed down to me before, and I know you only backed down to Aurelius out of respect before. I do not want you to slip further than you have. You may be Human right now, but you are still above all of them. You may have lost your strength and speed, but you have not lost your power and should not lose your presence either. Do not change yourself because of what they think of you," he said pointing towards Hogwarts again.

Harry nodded. He knew he'd been doing just that. With all of his conflicting emotions, he'd been trying to be what he knew was normal for a Human, what he'd been before he was a Vampire. What they wanted him to be. But that wasn't him. And now he was starting to conform to what he thought was expected of him. That's why he didn't feel like he belonged at Hogwarts.

Well, he wasn't going to do it anymore. Josef was right. He was above all of them still. He had always been, though he never truly saw it before. And now that he'd made up his mind to become a Vampire again, he was done pretended to be what everyone else wanted him to be. He was going to at least try to be himself again, whatever that entailed.

Harry nodded to himself and then started for the school, but Josef stopped him, tuning him around. "There is one more thing that I wish to discuss with you," he said with a slightly mischievous tone.

"And that would be?" Harry asked a bit cautiously looking again at the Vampire.

"Your mate," Josef said expressionlessly.

Harry frowned in confusion. "My mate?" he questioned, looking around them, almost expecting an unknown person to come out of the trees around them and claim to be his mate. "I don't understand."

"As a turned Vampire, the chances of recognizing your mate when faced with them is very small. As a born Vampire, however, you will know the person intimately with your first glance. You will automatically be drawn to them despite any previous feelings, regardless if they are your friend or enemy," he lectured as he circled Harry.

Harry nodded he knew all this already. "All right," he said, turning to follow the Vampire. "I still don't understand."

"You have already met him," Josef said with a smile.

"It's not you," Harry said with a certainty he felt to his very core.

Josef looked at him with such a wounded expression that it made Harry cringe slightly as he doubted his own words, and then the Vampire laughed and Harry rolled his eyes. Josef was playing with him.

"Very funny," Harry said dryly.

"Your Human emotions are much fun to play with, my nephew."

Harry shook his head in exasperation and rolled his eyes again as he stepped away from the Vampire and looked over Josef's shoulder at the school again. "You don't actually know who it is, do you?" he asked after a moment, looking back at Josef.

"Harry, you should know this, it is impossible for a Vampire to know who another Vampire's mate is, unless of course they are their mate."

Harry smirked at Josef. "So who do you suppose my mate is anyway? Do you think I've actually met them?"

Josef shrugged. "It's possible. Though, it took me over three hundred years to find my mate."

Harry's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. He'd never considered it could take that long.

"Not everyone finds their mate in their youth. Aurelius has yet to find his."

Harry suddenly realized that was true. Aurelius had never mentioned a mate. Harry had only assumed that he had found him or her and then lost them. "Well if I do find him or her right away, I can only say that if it's Severus Snape or a member of the Malfoy family, I swear to the gods I'm going to kill someone." Josef seemed to still at Harry's declaration and Harry narrowed his eyes. "Oh gods, it could be a Malfoy couldn't it?"

Josef rolled his eyes. "Give the Fates some credit."

"Snape!"

Josef shook his head. "Guessing is only going to throw your Human mind into turmoil. I only wanted you to be aware that you may find your mate –"

"No," Harry interrupted and pointed towards the edge of the forest. "Snape," he said.

Josef spun around with clear surprise on his face as Severus walked into the forest. Obviously he was shocked that he hadn't felt the Slayer approaching. Snape had his wand in hand, as he walked towards them cautiously.

Harry shook his head. "I knew this was going to get me in trouble."

"Let me handle this, nephew, we are the ones who kidnapped you after all."

Harry shook his head again. "No, I think you've caused enough problems already," he said and Josef gave him an affronted glare.

"Are you all right, Potter?" Snape asked, eyeing the Elder Vampire as he approached.

Harry nodded. "I'm fine. Though I don't suppose you are going to like what I've decided to do."

Snape eyed him questioningly when Harry didn't continue. "What is it you've decided to do, Potter?"

Harry glanced at Josef and then started to walk in the direction of the school. "I think I'll only explain it once," he muttered decisively to himself, but loud enough that Snape could hear as he passed the man, "Less yelling that way."

Snape gave him a rather alarmed glare.

…

"You're so easily going to allow yourself to be turned back into a Vampire?" yelled Remus.

They, Dumbledore, Josef, Remus, Snape, McGonagall and of course Harry, sat, or in Remus and Harry's case, stood around Dumbledore's office. Harry was originally only going to tell his plans to Dumbledore and Snape, but McGonagall had still been there when Harry had come back to the castle, and just as he was revealing his plans for the future, Remus had shown up, and to say that everyone, but Josef, was unhappy about his declaration was an understatement. Remus though, was downright enraged.

"Easily? Do you have no compression about what I'm going to have to go through to become a Vampire again? It's going to be bloody painful," Harry argued back, his own voice raised.

"And it could kill you!" Remus shouted. "Does your parent's sacrifice mean nothing to you now?"

"Of course it means something to me, it'll always mean something to me, but I'm a Vampire, it's what I was meant to be!" Harry nearly snarled. "And if you still want to mean something to me too, Remus, you're going to have to put aside your prejudices against my kind!"

"I've no problems with Vampires," Remus stated coolly, but Harry scoffed.

"Yes you do. Don't think I didn't see how you shied away from me before I was turned Human. And I know what you told Josef and Vantesh, just to keep them away from me. You know how much I despise being Human." He didn't miss Josef's smug smirk towards the Werewolf, but he ignored it. "I would never want you to be anything less than you are, Remus, don't expect me to be anything less than what I am!"

"I –"

"Gentleman," Dumbledore interrupted firmly, clearly trying to diffuse Harry and Remus' tempers, and brought the both of them back into the here and now, making them realize that they weren't alone. "Please, you both must agree arguing is getting us nowhere."

"I do not have a problem with Vampires, Harry," Remus said again, this time more calmly. "I don't know them enough to have a problem with them, but what I have a problem with, is what they've made you become."

Josef stood as if to argue against that statement, but Harry beat him to it and he slowly sat back down, clearly wanting to see Harry's reaction.

"What they've made me become is strong, resilient, and knowledgeable. They've made me into a leader, they've made me into someone who can stand on his own two feet and not let those around me manipulate me for something I did as a baby. All I am, all I've become is me. Not something someone else has made me into."

"You can stand there and tell me honestly that you do not look down upon the rest of us as if we are beneath you? You can tell me that from the moment you came back to us that you have treated us like equals?" Remus questioned. "You said you are trying, but don't lie to me, Harry, I have watched you. They made you into an egotistical monster, who had his own friends Obliviated for his own comfort, for Merlin's sake!"

Josef growled low in his throat at Remus' shouted words, but Harry just stared at Remus coolly. "It's true. But you are only seeing one side of the picture, Remus. To you, perhaps I appear that way. And you're right. I did have Ron and Hermione Obliviated for my own comfort. I was wrong on that account. I'll admit that. But the rest of it, I'm an Heir to a Vampire Clan and I will not apologize for being so!"

Remus stared hard at Harry. Harry didn't know if he was about to go off on another tangent, or just storm out of the room so he was a bit surprised when Remus sighed almost defeated, almost. "I just don't understand why you would want to put yourself through this, Harry. Is becoming a Vampire again really worth your life?" Remus questioned.

Harry looked away from the Werewolf for a moment, and then he nodded firmly to himself, before staring back up at the man again. "I am not living right now. I have not been living since I became Human again," he said rather harshly and Remus sat down heavily as if he'd been struck back and the others, even Josef looked at Harry with startled expressions.

Harry didn't want to be mean, but he needed to get his point across. He was not going to live as a Human any longer than he had to. He knew he didn't need their support, but he still had some hope that they could accept what he was meant to be. He still wanted to prove Aurelius wrong about the Wizards though. Not all of them were as bigoted as those who had tried to wipe out the Clans.

Harry softened his tone. "And as I am right now, I have no protection against Sarae and you cannot argue against that. She will eventually come back for me and I'd like to at least try and slaughter her before she slaughters me."

"As much as I loath to admit it, Potter is correct in that regard," Severus said, amazing Harry and everyone else with his sudden agreement. "However, turning back into a Vampire, if you survive, could have unseen consequences," he said as he glared at Harry severely.

Albus, McGonagall, and Remus, all who still had no clue about Harry's new Slayer status, looked between the two curiously and with apprehension. But before any of them could question Harry, Josef spoke up for the first time.

"When or if there are consequences, we will deal with them as they arise," he said simply. "Now, as of this moment, Harry is still a Wizard," Josef sneered and Harry had to fight down a smirk. Clearly, the attempted destruction of a race was something Josef couldn't forgive easily. "He has Wizard magic blocking the Vampire gene from coming forth. As I have had it explained to me, he will still be Human for some time after we unblock the gene, so we cannot take away his magic fully and not give it back to him again. It would kill him. Now as Harry reminded me, Vampires are rather powerful, we have a control over magic's that you will never have, but Wizard magic is different enough that containing it before we could give it back to him could prove problematic. We could attempt this without your help. However, Harry's survival chances are higher with it."

"What Josef is saying, is that I am doing this, with or without your support, I'd rather with. I'd like in the end for us to be allies, and not enemies."

…

Harry stared at his reflection in his bedroom mirror. He was back at Saleio Manor. It was strange to think that in just a few short hours he would either be on his way to being a Vampire again, or dead. It was stranger still that Saleio Manor was currently housing not only a good portion of the Vampire council, but also a handful of Wizards, all Order members.

Harry didn't know if he liked that his two worlds were starting to blur together. It had been what he'd wanted, at one point, for him to be able to be part of the Wizarding World again and still have his Vampire family. But now that it was happening, it was different than he imagined it would be. Maybe it would be different once he was a Vampire again, less strained.

A soft knock came from his door and Harry turned to see a sight that almost couldn't register in his brain, Terin and Hermione, standing side by side. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. Yeah, the sight was still just as strange.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "It's just odd seeing you here – Not that I don't want you here," he added quickly afterwards. Things had been a bit touch and go between him Hermione and Ron, since they'd been given back their memories, and let in on his rather large secret. He'd not wanted them to be here at all, but Dumbledore had insisted for some unfathomable reason.

"Well I brought her here, so I'm going to go," Terin said uncomfortably.

It had been tetchy between him and Terin as well. She was very happy that he would soon be a Vampire again, but she was uncomfortable around him being Human as well, and Harry suspected especially because he was a Slayer, and it didn't help any that she was worried that everything was going to go _horribly wrong_, as she'd put it.

"Terin, wait," Harry said and then moved around Hermione to stand closer to his friend. "I'll be all right," he said reassuringly.

Terin glared at him and Harry couldn't help but flinch back at little. "That's what you said last time and look at you. You're not all right," she hissed.

Harry looked at his feet. "Last time lies were governing my every action, of course everything was going to go wrong. This time, everything will go right," he said firmly. "It has too."

Terin suddenly grabbed hold of the front his shirt and pushed him roughly, almost painfully against the wall. "It better, Harry, or I'm going to kill you myself," she growled seriously and then kissed him deeply. She released him, gave him one last glare and then left the room. Harry smiled dazedly; he couldn't wait to take up sparring with her again.

"Did I miss something, are you two together?" Hermione asked, bringing Harry out of his daze.

He shook his head. "No, she just likes to beat me up." Hermione looked at him oddly. "So, umm, what are you doing up here anyway? I thought Aurelius wasn't allowing any Wizards in the family wing."

"He didn't say anything about Witches," she pointed out almost smugly and then leaned back against his desk with her arms crossed over her chest. "Professor Dumbledore says they're ready, but Vantesh says they're not. It's a whole big argument," Hermione sighed, looking away from Harry. She was silent for a long moment and then she looked back up at him again with tears and anger in her eyes. "And I was standing their watching it and realized that they were arguing about how quickly or slowly it was going to kill you!" she yelled.

"Hermione," Harry began to reason, but the Witch cut him off.

"No!" she shouted, throwing her hands up in the air, and starting to pace. "You've been gone for over a year. Ron and I didn't know what to think. They said you'd killed your uncle! And then you come back this entirely different person and you don't want to have anything to do with us! I just don't understand anything that's going on. I don't understand why you're putting yourself through this, why it's so important that you destroy yourself just to become stronger!" She stopped and glared at him through watery eyes. "Make me understand what has happened to my best friend! What have you done with him?"

Harry could only stare as Hermione broke down in sobs, her face in her hands. He didn't know how to make her understand, he didn't know what to tell her. "Hermione," he began again. He shook his head. There wasn't any way to make her understand, but maybe telling her how he felt.

"You know when you do something that makes your parents proud? You know that look that your father gets in his eyes when he sees how wonderful you've turned out?"

Hermione looked back up to him and nodded slowly.

"I've only been given that look once, Hermione," Harry continued. "Aurelius gave it to me when I became Prior. I've never had a family, not in the traditional, they love you unconditionally, sense of the word. Aurelius gave me that family and I want it back. Sure, he can be harsh, and cruel, but he's my father and I want to see that look again in his eyes. It's not about the strength and speed, it's not about becoming immortal again. It's all about being who I am, who I can become. Aurelius made me into someone I was happy to be. And I can't be anyone else. I tried, but I'm me, and I don't want to be anyone, anything else. Can you understand that?"

"I think I understand," Hermione whispered. "But you're so different now, and then you'll be even more different after all this is over. We were best friends, you me and Ron, but how can we be friends again when we don't even know who you are anymore."

"I don't know, Hermione, and I don't think we can be what we once were. But maybe given time, we can get to know each other again. And maybe we'll be stronger friends for it," Harry said and Hermione nodded with an uncertain smile on her face.

"I hope so," she said quietly.

Harry looked out though his windows, out over the sight he'd first seen as a Vampire. He couldn't see as far, or as clearly, but it was still familiar. "I do know, that until I am me again, none of that is possible," Harry added, and Hermione's smile slipped away. "I should get ready," he said and Hermione nodded again and began to leave.

She stopped just before going through the door. "I met Mesha on the way up here. She asked me what it was like to be Human in a rather snooty and arrogant way."

"What did you tell her?"

"I didn't, I asked her what it was like to be a Vampire. Does she realize that she is essentially Human still?"

Harry laughed. "Don't ever tell her that."

"Is that what you're going to be like, after this is all over?" Hermione asked. "I mean besides the snootiness."

Harry nodded. "For a while I think. I don't know how long."

"Good, I think it'll be easier to get to know you again," Hermione said and then left the room.

Harry looked back at himself in the mirror and then turned to change into the clothes that had been laid out for him. It was going to be a long day and night.

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	25. Who the Hell is Aiden?

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Five – Who the Hell is Aiden?

Harry walked into the room, but stayed by the wall as he watched the two factions arguing back and forth with some annoyance. It would almost be a welcome change from the last time he had been in this room, but they were arguing about his life, or as Hermione had said, how fast or slow this was going to kill him. He remembered how close to death he had come the last time he was here and shivered slightly. Had it not been for Josef's restraint, he would be dead right now. Course if he were dead, they'd have no reason to argue. That was a rather sardonic thought.

It didn't take long for those in the room to realize he was standing there and Harry could have laughed at how quickly they all fell silent, but didn't. He didn't even smile. He was already tense enough about what he was going to attempt. He didn't need those around him pointing out how stupid this really was and casting doubts on his decision, because of him showing a cavalier attitude.

Harry walked further into the room and looked around him. Ron and Hermione were off to one side, clearly they'd been told to stay out of the way. Kingsley, Tonks, who'd been let in on the secret, and Lucius stood not far from them watching Remus, Dumbledore, and Snape, who were closer to the middle of the room. They had been the ones arguing with Vantesh, Josef and Aurelius when Harry had entered. Clarisse, Alia, Aeolian and Terin stood near the opposite wall and elders from three other Clans stood not far from them, looking almost bored. The room was pretty full, and though Harry wished only those necessary were allowed to be here, he knew he had no say in it.

Harry took his eyes off the people and looked at the room itself. Right away he noticed the changes. The slightly raised dais where Josef had slept was gone, but in its place was a familiar ring, a runic circle meant to contain magic inside of it. There was one around the dueling platform at Lel, but Harry knew there was some modifications to this one. His magic wasn't only meant to be contained, but held back away from him. They couldn't allow it to linger in the air or he'd potentially be able to take it back into himself. Recycle it, as Vantesh had explained it to him. It was also made to be able to be manipulated by the handful of Wizards in the room. Dumbledore would be doing the most work really, being one of the most powerful Wizards here, but even he couldn't control all the magic Harry supposedly had packed inside of him.

Harry's eyes lingered on the circle, or rather what was inside the circle, and it made him hesitate in his approach. There were manacles attached to the stone floor. Logically he understood the need for them. They didn't know what was going to happen to him once the gene was unblocked. If he really was a Destroyer, he could very well unleash unholy hell on everyone nearby. Harry thought it was unlikely, but a possibility all the same. That didn't mean that he liked the idea of being chained to the floor again.

"All right there, Harry?" Ron suddenly asked and Harry nodded firmly.

"Let's get this over with," he said and before anyone could voice any more protests, he walked into the circle and fit both cuffs of the manacles to his ankles. They'd probably be more effective on his wrists, but he'd need the use of his hands to use his magic.

"As I've no way to judge how much pain this will cause you, or what you can stand, I decided on two Muggle drugs that should be effective for some time at least and stimulate your brain enough to keep you going. I'd use basic pain potions, but both Snape and my mother concurred that you'll likely burn through them too fast," Vantesh explained. Harry nodded in understanding, but cringed slightly when Vantesh pulled out two syringes. "I honestly don't know what the side effects of combining these drugs will be, but hopefully it'll be minimal."

"What are they?" Remus asked.

"Morphine, an extreme pain killer, and Epinephrine, basically, synthesized adrenaline. They are essentially opposites. One is meant to stimulate brain activity, make your heart rate rise, and give you more energy, while the other suppresses the nervous system, not allowing you to feel pain," Snape explained and Vantesh nodded in agreement.

Harry could only laugh nervously. "Great so when my heart explodes from the stress, I won't feel it coming," he said mordantly and then held out his left arm. "Dose me."

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Harry?" Dumbledore asked while Vantesh readied one of the syringes. "Once we start, stopping may not be an option."

Harry ignored Dumbledore and looked toward Aurelius, standing next to his brother, on what Harry found himself dubbing the Vampire side of the room. "I'm sure," he said and Aurelius nodded his approval. He didn't flinch as Vantesh pushed the first drug into his veins.

He had many doubts running through his head, but all of them circled around the possibility of him dying, none of them were doubts about becoming a Vampire again. And dying was a risk he was willing to take to achieve that.

It didn't take long for the drugs to go to work in his system and he had to stand with his eyes closed for a moment as he got used to the strange feeling. He felt like he could run a mile, but at the same time, lethargic. Needless to say, it was a really odd feeling.

"You should start slow, low level magic, and then build up from there, you'll be able to continue longer that way," Vantesh advised as Harry opened his eyes, but Harry had other ideas. He wanted this over with as quickly as possible.

Harry didn't use any specific spells as he called upon his runes, he just used. He unleashed as much magic as he could in each blast onto the circle around him and those on the other side took several steps away, just in case he brought down the runic ward.

Harry hadn't used magic like this since his duel with Aurelius and even then, he'd never unleashed so much magic before. It was intoxicating and draining, but that was the point. Harry found himself sweating and breathing heavily from the effort within minutes, but he pushed on.

It was only a few minutes later when Harry stopped abruptly and collapsed to his hands and knees and forced himself to slow his breathing and catch his breath. He'd just realized something none of them had taken into consideration. He didn't know how it was possible, but it was a problem.

"Harry, what is wrong?" Aurelius asked, coming to stand just outside the circle.

"I can't do this," he said breathlessly.

"Why not?" questioned Aurelius almost harshly.

"I can't do this," Harry repeated as he looked up to his father, "because my magic is replenishing itself as quickly as I'm using it."

"That isn't possible," Dumbledore said from Harry's other side.

"Magic takes time to replenish, Harry. Every spell a Wizard casts is a drain on their reserves. There is a limit to how much magic can be used at one time. Even Vampires have a limit," Vantesh said immediately after.

"I know that," Harry said through clenched teeth as he looked away from all of them. And he did, he'd always had a limit before. Why now was different, he didn't know, but it pissed him off. This was not how things were meant to be, he wasn't meant to be Human. He felt that to the depths of his soul and this was his only way to become a Vampire again.

Harry stood and cast at the barrier again. He felt his magic leave him as it should and pushed on, but the more magic he used the more powerful he felt, even as it exhausted him. Harry cast his magic to the floor and fell back to his knees, and pounded the now marked floor with his fist. "It's not working!" he shouted angrily as he slumped over, putting his head in his hands.

"You are making up excuses," Aurelius said scathingly and Harry looked up to him.

He knew what his father was doing, trying to get him angry enough so that he'd cast all out. But what his father didn't know, was that was exactly what Harry had been doing. He wasn't holding back anything. "I'm sorry, Father, I can't do it," he said regretfully and then looked away from Aurelius. He didn't want to see him turn away from him again.

Harry wasn't one to give up so easily, but this wasn't working, they were going to have to come up with something different. He unchained his legs with magic and moved to leave the circle. A cacophony of protests met his ears before he walked into the barrier. What they said didn't have time to register with his brain as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt swept over him, through him. He screamed in agony as he felt a pressure build up inside him and then felt nothing as he collapsed to the floor. For a moment, he saw those around him rushing toward him and then everything went black.

…

Harry wasn't sure what woke him, but it didn't take him long to understand where he was, Hogwarts Hospital Wing. What had happened to him this time? Harry groaned as he blinked open his eyes. How he always knew when he was in the Hospital Wing before he fully woke up, he'd probably never understand, but perhaps it was the amount of times he'd woken up in these beds.

Harry looked towards Madam Pomfrey's office, waiting for the door to open and then narrowed his eyes in confusion when after a full minute, it didn't. Usually, just him twitching brought the Medi-Witch to his side in seconds, where was she? Harry shook his head and looked to the other side of the empty ward, toward the double doors that lead to the rest of the school. They didn't open either.

After a good ten minutes, Harry's patience ran thin and he pushed himself up to a sitting position with difficulty. Everything hurt. Even his hair hurt, and he was pretty sure that was an accomplishment. He tried to remember what had happened to him, he tried to remember what the last thing he had done was, but all he came up with was a memory of an argument with his uncle, and a fuzzy one at that.

Harry shook his head again and rubbed at his pounding temples and that was when he realized how long his hair was. How long had he been unconscious for?

Suddenly the infirmary door opened and Madam Pomfrey came in carrying a basket of potions. She walked right on by him, opened her office door, went in and then came back out just as quickly. She stared at him, he stared at her and then she rushed to his side, dropping the potions on the end of one of the beds as she did.

"Sweet, Merlin, Aiden you're awake," she said as she approached.

Harry looked at her in confusion. "Aiden?" he asked.

"You just sit tight there Mr. Black, let me check you over and then I'll alert Severus," she said as she cast diagnostic spells over him.

Harry could only stare at her as a moment later she bustled over to the fireplace and threw in a handful of Floo Powder. Why did she call him Mr. Black, and who was Aiden?

It wasn't a moment later when Snape came through the fireplace. He looked at Harry and then sighed in clear relief. Now Harry didn't think the man wanted him outright dead, but never had he shown relief upon seeing him before. And why alert Snape, why not Dumbledore?

Snape came over and Harry was more than unnerved by the concern in the man's eyes. "Thank Merlin you're awake, it's been weeks. You really should have waited until we could take down the barrier. What were you thinking?"

Harry blinked at Snape. The question wasn't scolding or scornful, but that wasn't really what Harry was focused on. "Weeks?" he asked numbly.

"Yes weeks. It's mid-January."

Harry frowned in further confusion, hadn't it just been August? How the hell was it January? That wasn't weeks. That was months! Harry shook his head and then against the protests of both Madam Pomfrey and Snape he pushed aside his blankets and got out of bed. He couldn't be sitting as he tried to wrap his mind around this. He paced back and forth and then looked over his shoulder, out one of the infirmary windows.

"Weeks?" he asked again. It was clearly winter out there, snow and everything.

"Aiden, don't be obtuse," Snape said with almost amusement in his voice.

Harry spun back around, ignoring his aching everything. "Who the Hell is Aiden?" he demanded.

Madam Pomfrey looked to Snape as Snape stared at Harry. "What is the last thing you remember?" Snape questioned, alarmed.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the man. "I think I was having an argument with Uncle Vernon, something about Hedwig."

Snape's eyes widened as Madam Pomfrey mouthed Hedwig and Uncle Vernon before looking at Harry in clear shock. "You're sworn to silence," Snape snapped at the Medi-Witch, who hadn't said a thing and then turned back on Harry. "You don't remember anything of the last year and a half? You don't remember Aurelius? Terin? Lel?" he asked quickly.

Harry shook his head. "Who are they, and what do you mean the last year and a half?" he asked, his voice rising slightly in panic. Was he really missing a year and a half of memories?

"Gods, you really don't remember," Snape whispered.

Harry shook his head again. "What is going on, what happened to me? And why did you both call me Aiden? You do know I'm Harry Potter, right?"

"Clearly, _he_ was aware," Madam Pomfrey said dryly, looking between the two, still in shock.

"Get Dumbledore," Snape snapped at the woman, and she glared at him, but then moved to the fireplace.

"Sit down, Harry," Snape said and reached out to Harry to help him back to bed.

Harry flinched away. "Don't touch me," he snapped. "I don't need _your_ help."

Snape stared at him a moment before raising his hands and backing away. "I think I liked you better when you didn't hate me," he muttered.

Harry glared at him. He wanted to remind the man of exactly why he hated him, but if he was really missing so much time, maybe they had come to a truce of some sort. Though Harry could never actually see himself forgiving Snape. Had he done _something_, Sirius likely wouldn't be dead. Harry pushed that thought aside. Now was not the time to think on that.

Dumbledore at that moment swept through the fireplace and into the infirmary. "I will explain," he said right away to the Medi-Witch and then approached Harry. "It's good to see you back with us, Harry."

"I just wish I knew where I had gone. What happened to me? Snape said I'm missing a year and a half. Professor, is that true?" Harry questioned.

"It appears to be so, my boy. Why don't you have a seat? You look as if you need one," Dumbledore said in a gentle tone.

Harry nodded and then sat down on the nearest bed. "So what did I do, get hit upside the head with a Quaffle?" Harry asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid, nothing so simple. What is the last thing you remember?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry breathed out and then repeated what he'd told Snape, but in more detail. "It was the last day of summer I think. I'd just read a letter from Hermione and Ron when Hedwig finally came back carrying a letter from someone and then I got in an argument with my uncle. I don't remember anything after that."

Harry saw an indecisive look come into Dumbledore's eyes before Snape spoke up. "That argument ended badly, Harry, very badly. You're uncle ended up dead and you fled to the Burrow."

Harry stared at Snape. "W-what do you mean he ended up dead?"

Dumbledore looked gravely at Harry. "You killed him," he said heavily.

Harry shook his head quickly. "No, I wouldn't have done something like that!" he protested.

"You told us it was an accident, that you hadn't meant to use your magic against him," Snape said regretfully.

Harry stood up and moved away from the two men. "No, I don't believe you! I'm not a killer. I don't like my uncle, but I'd never kill him, even accidently!"

"I'm afraid you did, Harry." Dumbledore said. "You ran to the Burrow and then you were attacked by a Vampire. He turned you and for over a year you remained with him."

Harry shook his head again as he stared at Dumbledore disbelievingly. "I'm a Vampire?"

"You were," Snape said, "Until a Prowler turned you into a Human again. We were trying to turn you back when you walked into the barrier holding your magic and fell into a coma several weeks ago."

"Wait, you were trying to turn me back into a Vampire?" Harry questioned doubtfully.

"It was your choice. It was what you wanted," Dumbledore explained.

Harry swallowed thickly at the thought. He'd never want to be a Vampire in the first place, why would he ever want to turn back into one. "No!" he shouted. "I wasn't a Vampire! I didn't kill my uncle! Why are you saying all of these lies?"

"Because it's true, Harry," a voice said from the doors of the Hospital Wing. Harry turned to see Remus standing there with Ron and Hermione behind him. "It's good to see you awake, you had us worried."

"It's true. Everything they're saying is true?" Harry asked, taking a shaky step toward the group. Remus nodded with regret in his eyes. Harry looked to his friends questioningly.

"It's true, Harry," Hermione nodded. "You've been gone for over a year. We were there when you tried to turn yourself back."

"mate, how can you not remember any of this?" Ron asked.

Harry looked around at the others and then he sat down on the nearest bed and put his head in his hands. "I don't understand what's going on," he whispered. Ron was right, how could he not remember any of this?

"Perhaps you just need time," Dumbledore said, coming to stand next to Harry. "The amount of magic you forced back onto yourself should have killed you," he said bluntly. "Perhaps you just need more time to recover and it will all come back to you."

Harry looked up from his hands incredulously. "Are you kidding? Do you think I want to remember any of that? To remember being a Vampire; _killing_ my uncle? I'll be relieved if none of it ever comes back to me!"

The others stared at Harry in shock, but Harry didn't care, he didn't want to have to deal with any of this. He'd woken up to a nightmare and all he wanted to do was close his eyes and go back to sleep, pretend he'd never heard any of it.

"Please, all of you just go away. I need to be alone," Harry said with tiredness in his voice.

Dumbledore squeezed Harry's shoulder and nodded. "Rest, Harry. We'll come back in a few hours," he said gently and then ushered the others out of the room, taking Madam Pomfrey with him.

Harry looked up again after the door was closed. He didn't know what was going on. What the last year really entailed, but he knew none of it could be real. Everything they told him went against who he was, against his very character. Maybe they'd all been brainwashed, maybe Voldemort had taken over the school and they were Polyjuiced Death Eaters, he didn't know, but he did know that he wasn't going to stick around to find out.

Harry went to the fireplace and took a handful of Floo Powder. There weren't many places he knew he could go that would be safe, but the Burrow had always been a second home to him, so he said the destination very clearly and then stepped into the green flames.

After the spinning stopped and he was able to step out of the fireplace, a chime sounded as he arrived at his destination. He looked around at the familiar and inviting living room of the Weasley residence and then he took a startled step back when Fred and George both ran into the room with their wands drawn, followed quickly by Mrs. Weasley.

"Who are you?" George demanded.

Harry looked at him oddly. "George, it's me, it's Harry."

"Harry?" Mrs. Weasley breathed, staring at him in shock.

"Yeah, Mrs. Weasley, it's me," he said with a small smile, but his smile slipped away at the Weasley matriarch's next words.

"Fred, alert the Aurors," she said, pointing her own wand at him.

Harry raised his hands. "Wait, I really am Harry. I can prove it. Fred, George, you and Ron picked me up second year in a flying car. There were bars on my windows." The two looked at him doubtfully. "Mrs. Weasley you gave me my first Christmas present, a Weasley knit sweater, even though you didn't know me. You wanted me to feel part of the family. Fred, George, I gave you my winnings from the Tri-Wizard Tournament. You made loads of products. You were going to start a joke shop."

"Fred call the Aurors," Mrs. Weasley repeated sadly.

"How can you not believe me? I am Harry, I swear!"

"We believe you," George said tightly.

"Then why get the Aurors?" Harry asked in confusion.

"You murdered your uncle, that's why," Fred said angrily.

Harry shook his head. "Not you too, why is everyone saying I killed my uncle? I wouldn't do that! I didn't like him, but he was still my family!"

"We don't know why you did it, Harry," George said. "But we do know that you ran from the scene. Only guilty people run away."

A banging came at the front door and Harry looked to the window to see several people outside. "Aurors, open up!"

Harry took a step towards the fireplace again, but he didn't see any Floo Powder.

"Harry, don't run again," Mrs. Weasley said sadly.

Harry looked back to the woman who was like a mother to him. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley," he whispered and then ran towards the back door.

He just managed to dodge a stunning curse before he flung open the door and ran through. Once in the snow-covered yard, he didn't know where to go though. He was still in his hospital pajamas, barefooted, and he didn't have his wand. How did he expect to get away?

Harry ran towards the woods as Aurors came through the back door and around from the front of the house. Several times he tripped purposely to avoid spell fire, before he made it to the tree line and ducked around a large tree. He stopped to catch his breath and then stilled when he heard a deep growl from behind him.

"_You made a mistake coming here, Harry, but a mistake in my favor_," a voice hissed in Parseltongue and Harry spun around. His eyes widened in terror. The creature before him had fangs like a Vampire, eyes the color of blue fire, and skin so pale it was almost iridescent. But what really stood out were the swirling blood red markings that seemed to flow over the man's skin as he stalked towards Harry.

"Who are you?" Harry couldn't help ask as he backed away, stopping only as his back hit the tree behind him.

"Come now, Harry. I may look different through your weak Human eyes, but you can't deny knowing who I am. I have tried to kill you several times after all and a connection like that does not go away easily."

Harry's breath caught in his throat. This wasn't the man who had tried to kill him as a child; he wasn't the creature he'd helped to bring back to life in the Little Haggleton Cemetery, who'd tried to possess him at the Ministry of Magic. He'd never seen a monster like this before, but it was his enemy.

"Voldemort," he gasped before he was suddenly grabbed roughly. Harry had a moment where he thought he was going to be torn apart, but then Voldemort was carrying him in a blur away from the Burrow.

They were moving so fast through the forest that Harry felt himself getting small cuts on his face and arms as they moved through the trees. The wind rushed by them and all Harry could hear was a rushing sound and he was forced to close his eyes.

And then all of a sudden it all stopped and he was thrown to the ground like a ragdoll. Harry groaned and rolled himself onto his back on the snow-covered ground. He looked up at Voldemort, or rather the creature that Voldemort was now. He stood over him, looking not down at him, but to someone or something on Harry's other side. Harry slowly turned his head to look that way as well and then he was being picked up by the front of his shirt, like he weighed nothing. His feet didn't even touch the ground.

He reflexively grabbed onto the thin wrist of the hand that held him with both his hands, but he found himself ceasing his struggles as he looked into the blue eyes of the woman, creature that held him. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place it. And why did he not want to stand against her? He didn't even want to run.

"My, my, Harry, what have you done to yourself? All my hard work, you have ruined it!" she snarled into his face and then Harry found himself dropped to the ground and he could move again.

"Can I have him now, Mistress?" Voldemort asked in a surprisingly light voice. "Clearly he is no longer of use to you."

The woman stared down at Harry and then smiled. "You can have him, Voldemort. Do what you want, but don't kill him. He may prove valuable eventually. He still has Taurean's magic and maybe I can convince him to use it one day. What say you, Harry, are you going to be stubborn, or will you cooperate?"

Harry didn't say anything. He didn't know who this person was, what magic she was talking about. He did know that Voldemort was looking at him with a hunger, lust, he'd never seen in anyone's eyes, and he really didn't want to know what Voldemort had planned for him. He did know he wasn't about to stick around to find out.

Harry braced himself and then got up and ran. He didn't look over his shoulder as Voldemort let out a harsh laugh. And then he was being tackled to the ground. Harry tried to struggle, he tried to fight back, but then a shooting pain went through his shoulder and he felt teeth tear at his flesh at the base of his neck.

He screamed. And suddenly it was like a damn broke. His magic began to build inside him and in that instant he remembered everything all the way up until he'd walked right into the barrier of his own magic. His magic that had pushed against the block on his Vampire gene, and shattered it.

A low growl bubbled up in Harry throat and with strength he hadn't felt in weeks he threw Voldemort off of him, and clear across the clearing he'd been brought to. Harry didn't give either Prowler the chance to retaliate. He called his runes forth and sent out a wave of destructive magic so powerful that the trees around them caught on fire and turned to ash. When he finally called his magic back to him and fell to his knees, feeling faint, he was disappointed because the two had managed to escape the inferno he'd caused.

It suddenly started to rain and Harry looked up into the gray sky and then he laughed. It was in these woods during a rainstorm that Aurelius had turned him, and in these woods, Harry realized that he'd succeeded in becoming a Vampire again. Or almost anyway. He wasn't quite there yet, but he would be.

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	26. To Err is Human, to be Immortal Divine

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Six - To Err is Human, to be Immortal Divine

Having Wizards show up unexpectedly on his doorstep was starting to wear thin, especially as they seemed to have lost his son, again. "What do you mean, Harry vanished?" Aurelius growled and the Wizards before him shifted uneasily, though surprisingly didn't back away. They did cower as Humans should and that made him feel rather smug. Though, that feeling gave way to irritation rather quickly as the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, repeated his words, as if he hadn't heard him the first time.

"He awoke, had no memory of the last year and a half, and then vanished from the Hospital Wing. We believe he left through the Floo as he arrived at the Burrow not long after the same way. He disappeared from there and no one has seen him since."

"Yes, as you said. Now let me see if I understand you correctly. I entrusted you with my son, my Heir. You swore he would be safe with you, that you would be able to help him, heal him, and now you cannot find him," Aurelius said quietly, dangerously. "Something tells me bloodshed is in your near future," he growled and allowed his eyes to bleed red, just for the effect.

"Now, hang on, he left on his own accord," Lucius suddenly spoke up behind Remus. Aurelius almost smirked as the man tried to make it look as if he weren't using the Werewolf as a shield. "We couldn't have predicted he'd flee Hogwarts, especially in his state. Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place he knows."

"You aren't helping matters, Lucius," Snape snapped while Aurelius glowered at him.

"No, let him continue," Josef said from where he was leaning against the wall. He had a wicked glint in his eyes that Aurelius found himself amused by. "I want to see how long it will take before my brother snaps and kills him."

Lucius wisely fell silent.

"We shouldn't be at each other's throats right now!" Remus suddenly growled. "We should be looking for Harry. Who knows what state he's in right now, mentally and emotionally. And he is very vulnerable to attack without his memories from a plethora of enemies, the Ministry of Magic notwithstanding."

It was rather close to the full moon, and Aurelius was amused to see his threats weren't being taken lightly by the wolf lingering under the Wizard's skin. He could almost feel the man holding back the beast within. He really should learn to accept the wolf or it was going to kill him one of these days. But he did have point. They shouldn't be standing there squabbling like schoolchildren; they all knew who was at fault.

"Which is why I will not be killing you today," he said almost regretfully. "Vantesh, you took a sample of Harry's blood, correct?"

"I did, Master," said Vantesh as he came into the room silently, startling the Wizards.

"Find my son," Aurelius ordered.

"Yes, Master," Vantesh said and then bowed and disappeared on the spot.

"Is that all you are going to do? Send one Vampire after him?" Remus questioned.

Aurelius glared at him. Really, he was surprised he wasn't hearing all of this from the old man, but perhaps the Werewolf cared more for Harry than he had first conceived? That could be problematic. "One Vampire is all it will take. We shall wait here. If Harry can be found, he will be with us shortly."

"And hopefully he will be found quickly," Dumbledore added, as if to have the last word. Aurelius glowered at him.

…

Harry stopped to catch his breath. He'd been running for a while away from the clearing, away from the Burrow. It hadn't been long after he'd tried to catch Voldemort and Sarae in his wild blast of magic that Aurors had arrived at the charred clearing. Harry hadn't stuck around for them to find him.

He was greatly confused about the events of the last couple of hours. He didn't understand why he'd suddenly had a block on his memories, and if it hadn't lifted when it had, he'd likely never would have fully recovered from whatever Voldemort had plan to do to him. Harry shivered. He didn't even want to think about that. He almost wished his memories were gone again, if only so his imagination couldn't supply for him the details of what would have been done to him. He really had been quite an innocent before he'd become a Vampire.

Though he was vastly confused about the memory block, it had given him the strange opportunity to really remember who he was before everything had happened to him. He'd been confused, burdened by the death of his Godfather, and the prophecy, which he now wasn't entirely certain, still held any truth. He had been young, naive, even after all that had happened to him through his years at Hogwarts. He'd been innocent. He now remembered Ron and Hermione as his old friends. He remembered how they had once all been together, as close as siblings. He no longer looked down on them for being Wizards. They were no longer beneath him.

He didn't know what changed it, having his memories of the past so close to him again, possibly. When he'd been made into a Vampire, he'd been thrust into a world so foreign that he'd had to adapt quickly. It was easier to push aside who he had been, than try to incorporate it into what he'd been turned into. He'd made himself into an entirely different person. It hadn't been a bad thing to do, under the circumstances, he'd needed to be that person then, but Harry now knew that doing so had limited him.

Now though, he felt whole again. He didn't feel torn between his old life and his life as a Vampire. They were one in the same, both past. Now he had the future to look forward to and he was going to embrace it whole-heartedly. His lives didn't need to be separate anymore. He was Wizard and he was Vampire. Throw in a side of Slayer and a bit of Runic Mage, well that just made him well rounded.

Harry chuckled at the perplexities of his life and then stilled as he felt more than heard someone approaching him from behind. His initial instinct was to shoot first, and ask questions later, but something stilled him from unleashing his magic. He turned, prepared for an attack of any kind and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Vantesh," he said and took a step forward.

The older Vampire stared at him with a mixture of shock and concern on his face. Harry nearly laughed. What a sight he must make? He was still barefoot, in his hospital pajamas, though half his shirt was wrapped around his shoulder, neck and feet, and he was positively filthy. He had both mud and blood on him. Harry fully understood the concern, but the shock, he was going to have to ask about that.

"Are you all right, Vantesh?" he asked if only to make the Vampire stop staring at him that way.

"You're a Vampire," he breathed.

Harry smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, almost anyway," he said and then winced as he pulled at his barely healing wound. Voldemort hadn't exactly been nice about tearing into his neck. Harry was lucky the Prowler had been ordered not to kill him, or he may not have bypassed the artery.

"You're hurt," Vantesh said and immediately was at Harry's side.

"Just a scrape," Harry said nonchalantly and then clenched his teeth as Vantesh slowly pulled away the bloody piece of shirt.

"That is more than a scrape, Harry, whatever bit you almost took a chunk out of your neck!" Vantesh exclaimed bluntly.

Harry cringed and glared at the man. "Yeah, I hadn't actually been able to look at it fully yet and now it suddenly hurts a whole lot more."

Vantesh shook his head and then raised his hand over the wound and started to weave a rune. Harry was able to see a slight glow out of the corner of his eye before the pain tripled and Harry nearly collapsed to his knees and would have had Vantesh not caught him.

"What bit you?" Vantesh asked as Harry sagged against him breathing deeply through the pain.

"Voldemort," he hissed through clenched teeth. "That didn't heal it at all did it?"

"No."

Harry suddenly saw movement far off in the trees, Aurors. "Vantesh, take us home."

Vantesh didn't give a verbal reply. The familiar feeling of Vanishing swept over him. The last couple times he'd experienced it; it had made him a little off balance, dizzy. This time it felt natural and the only reason he almost ended up on the floor was from the pain in his neck. Either he was imagining it, or it was burning more.

Harry barely noticed the multitude of voices as he clung to Vantesh. No, he wasn't imagining it, it was burning more, and not only that, he was burning. He felt his skin become moist as if he had a fever, but when he rubbed at his forehead it wasn't sweat that came away on his hands, it was blood. What was happening to him? And then he felt it, and couldn't believe it was coming on so fast. Was it because of the Prowler bite?

Harry pushed away from Vantesh, practically shoving the Vampire across the room. If this were like his first time awakening, as a Vampire, then only Human blood would do, anything else would send him into a blood rage he'd never be able to force his will to control. And as there were Humans in the room, that was what he fixated on. But that was the problem, there were Humans in the room and he didn't know if he'd be able to control himself enough to stop once he'd started.

"_Harry_!" A hard voice suddenly sounded, not just out loud, but also in his mind, Aurelius. "_Control yourself_."

Harry growled, he wanted to go against the compulsion, but he was in enough pain, and apparently, even with the need for blood, his body had decided enough was enough. He forced himself to back away from the group of Wizards and didn't stop until his back hit the wall. He placed his hands against the stone if only to use it as an anchor.

He looked up to Aurelius. "I'm good," Harry said tightly. "But get them out of here."

Aurelius nodded to Vantesh and the Vampire ushered the Wizards out. Dumbledore, Remus, Snape, and even Lucius looked at Harry with varying arrays of emotions as they were forced to leave, not having time to voice any kind of protest. Harry didn't dwell on what they all could possibly be thinking as he was forced to focus back on Aurelius; the only one who'd stayed in the room. Even Josef had gone.

Aurelius didn't come near him. In fact, he stayed on the opposite side of the room. "Harry, what you are experiencing is phantom bloodlust. All Vampire children go through it when they reach maturity. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. "My need for blood isn't real."

"Oh, it is real enough, however your body cannot handle blood yet and will not for several days. In normally developing Vampire children, their reaction is not so harsh. They have never taken blood so it is only a mild discomfort until their body changes. Think of it like a Wizard reaching their majority."

Harry had never experienced that, he was still too young, but he'd heard of it from older students, and even seen some in the hospital wing as they reached their full maximum in magic. They'd been in bed for several days with a high fever and had been kept away from other students. He remembered being wary about it when Fred had told him how much pain he'd been in, and then laughed about how bad it was probably going to be for Harry, who was so much more powerful than everyone else. Harry had rolled his eyes at him, but had never figured out if what he said was true or not.

"But I've taken blood before," Harry stated, focusing back on what Aurelius was saying.

"Yes, this is exactly why your reaction is so severe. Your mind and therefore your body knows how it will help you. You know what blood tastes like, feels like to take it," Aurelius said. "Your Human body may not have ever done it before, but your mind knows and remembers."

"This is going to get worse," Harry summed up. He knew that and if Aurelius was right, he wouldn't be able to digest any blood and at the same time, he was still losing it from his wound. "How long?" he asked.

"The shortest I have ever seen, five days, however I have seen as long as twelve."

Harry closed his eyes. Twelve days, there was no way he could control himself that long, not with their being Humans in the manor. "You're going to have to lock me up," he said, opening his eyes as he came to a decision. He didn't like the idea of being caged, but he also knew he couldn't allow himself to succumb to his bloodlust, especially as it wouldn't even help him to have the blood.

Aurelius nodded. "I am going to tend to your wound and then I will bring you to the bloodletting chamber. Do not attack me. I would rather not have to hurt you further. This is going to be hard enough on you."

Harry inclined his head and steadied himself against the wall. Aurelius swiftly stepped forward. It took far stronger magic than what Vantesh had used to heal the wound. The bite didn't fully heal, but the bleeding was stopped. Aurelius conjured bandages and wrapped Harry's wound and then the two of them Vanished and reappeared in the bloodletting chamber.

It hadn't changed much since the last time he'd been here, apparently several weeks ago. The runic circle was smudged out, actually looked scorched out. But the chains were still there. Harry wasn't about to use those unless absolutely necessary though.

"When will I know?" Harry asked before Aurelius could leave him.

"You will have teeth," he said simply and then disappeared.

Harry blinked as he looked around the now locked and sealed room. He ran his tongue along his teeth and noticed for the first time, that even through the bloodlust, he'd never felt his fangs lengthen and honestly, he couldn't wait until he did. Being locked in the room alone was already unnerving.

…

Fear was something that Harry knew intimately, it was also something that he'd managed to overcome in many forms, but being trapped in the bloodletting chamber was a totally different story. There were so many things running through his head, as he paced around the room. But his most prevalent thought was what if they forgot about him, what if he starved to death? Harry didn't know how much more of this he could take.

He couldn't really say how long he'd been trapped there, days, weeks, time seemed to blur for him. He was hungry, always hungry, but what they gave him just made him sick. He wanted blood, needed blood, but still he had no fangs. He was beginning to doubt that they'd ever appear.

Harry wasn't one to get claustrophobic; he'd grown up with a cupboard as his bedroom, so small spaces really didn't bother him. But here, it was taking everything in him not to panic. It was probably the combination of bloodlust and being alone for so long, but Harry couldn't make his brain see reason.

He'd paced for quite a while, and then sat and then paced again. Now he was huddled against the wall. He wanted to throw himself at the door and demand to be let out, but he refused to show such weakness. He could handle this. It was just bloodlust and he wasn't even seeing red yet. He'd gone through worse.

Harry jumped to his feet again and walked the length of the room. It hurt to move about too much, his muscles felt starved of oxygen and his skin was oversensitive. But he couldn't sit still. He felt like he had a ton of energy.

Harry ran his tongue along his teeth for what had to be the thousandth time. It had become almost habit over the last days and he expected to be disappointed like every other time, so was caught off guard when a sharp pain caused him to pull back his tongue quickly.

"Ouch," he muttered as he sucked on his tongue and the blood that came from it and then he stilled and raised his hand to his mouth almost slowly. He briefly touched the tip of his canine with his thumb and then quickly pulled his hand back. He stared at his thumb as blood beaded at the tip of it and then he smiled. He had fangs, sort of. Why hadn't they lowered?

Harry thought hard about the most vivid image of sinking his fangs into Human flesh that he could come up with. He felt a slight tingling in his gums, but still his fangs didn't lower. Maybe he just needed the real thing? He so wanted the real thing. He looked around the locked room. Aurelius hadn't told him how he was supposed to alert him when he had fangs. He'd assumed Aurelius would know and bring him blood or something. Should he just shout?

Harry shrugged and then looked to the ceiling. "Hey, umm, can anyone hear me? Really want blood right now! Are you just going to leave me here to starve? Hello?" He kept shouting for a good five minutes before giving up with an angry growl. Clearly, they couldn't hear him.

He stood there for another ten minutes, absently clicking his teeth together until he accidently bit his own lip and then he looked towards the door. He walked up to it and pulled on the handle with all his strength, but it wouldn't budge. Maybe if he hit it enough times he could make a hole big enough to reach through and unlatch the lock.

He punched at the door as hard as he could and then hopped back cradling his bloody knuckles. "Ow," he whimpered. "Okay, not the best idea," he muttered to himself. Hitting the door had been like hitting a steel wall. Clearly, this place was meant to keep people in no matter their strength…

And then an idea came to Harry. He didn't know if he could do it, or if it'd even work, but maybe… Harry concentrated on Vanishing. He knew how to do it, he remembered mastering it, and it was only a matter of making his body do it. It didn't take as much concentration as Harry thought before he was suddenly standing in the hallway, the locked door before him.

Harry smiled and then gritted his teeth as the pain in his muscled tripled. He doubled over, nearly falling to his knees. This was getting bad. He needed blood now before he couldn't coherently control himself enough not to kill the first person he saw. Fighting past the pain, he forced himself to straighten.

He could smell Human blood not too far away and it only took him a moment to deduce where it was before he was speeding down the dark hall towards Vantesh's lab. It only took him a second to find the catch that opened the false wall and then he was approaching the open door that lead into the well-lit room. He stopped himself in the doorway not wanting to frighten whoever it was.

Two things surprised Harry as he stared into the lab. One was that Vantesh wasn't there, and two, the Human was Severus Snape. Red started to cloud his vision as he restrained himself from simply attacking the man. He needed blood, wanted blood, but Harry didn't want to hurt him, nor did he want the man attacking him back, he was a Slayer after all. Snape's back was to him. He was hunched over a microscope, but Harry knew when Severus had seen him as his muscles tensed in his shoulders and their eyes met in the mirror. He spun around quickly.

"Harry, how did you get out?" he asked slowly.

"Vanished," Harry said and then licked his lips. "I could really use some of your blood right now," he whispered.

Snape was quick to raise his wand. "Harry, you need to return to the room, you can't have blood yet."

"Yes, I can," Harry said and smiled. He took a step towards the man. "Now why don't you put your wand away and let me have a little taste."

Snape gripped his wand more firmly. "I don't think so," he hissed and then lashed out.

A spell smacked into Harry's abdomen, causing him to double over again. But his body was already in so much pain, that the added pain from the spell really didn't faze him much. He glared up at the man. "You really shouldn't have done that," he growled and then straightened. "Now lower your wand, Severus, and give me a little blood, or I'll just take it!"

Snape shook his head and then lashed out at Harry again, but Harry was already moving. He blurred around Snape until he was behind him and then he had the man pressed up against the wall. Harry pressed into his back, holding him there with his body. His hands automatically trapped Severus wrists against the wall, preventing him from moving his wand, though Harry didn't take it from him.

"You may have been stronger than me when I was Human, Severus, but I'm not Human anymore," Harry purred into Snape's ear. "Now please relax, I really don't want to hurt you," he almost pleaded.

Severus gave a valiant attempt at struggling against him, but then obviously realized that there was nothing he could do against Harry, not with the way he was pinned against the wall. He relaxed in Harry's hold and then did something unexpected. He tilted his head to give Harry better access.

"Then take it," Severus hissed breathily.

Harry hesitated and then loosened his grip on Severus's wrists. He spun the man around and then pushed him up against the wall again, this time gently. "Thank you," he whispered and feeling his fangs finally lengthen, he sunk them deeply into the vein on Severus' neck before the man had the thought to protest further.

There was the slightest resistance as Harry's mind connected with the man's, but it gave quickly and then he was letting Severus feel everything he was feeling, just as he was feeling everything Severus was feeling. And gods, Severus' blood was amazing. It had been great when he'd had it before, but now it was so much more. He let Severus feel the euphoria Harry was feeling and Severus' breathing quickened as he leaned into Harry. Harry felt Severus getting weaker, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. He'd already had his fill, but he wanted more, he wanted to feel more.

"Harry," Severus half moaned, half whimpered as he tried to pull away. "Harry, you are killing me," he hissed.

It wasn't Severus' words that had him forcing himself to stop, but the fear that flowed into his mind. It was almost physically difficult for Harry to pull away, but he managed it. His fangs retracted quickly and before any more blood could come from the wound, he kissed and then licked the two puncture holes, healing them. He caught Severus as he stared to fall down the wall, and gently lowered him to the floor.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

Snape shook his head, but stopped, clearly dizzy with lightheadedness. "Don't apologize. I should have stopped you sooner," he admitted and Harry smirked lightly before he turned serious, he really had taken quite a bit more than he should have.

"Is there anything I can do for you, get you, a blood replenishing potion maybe?" Harry asked.

"Do you have any here?" Snape asked tiredly.

Harry shrugged. He had no idea. "Probably not, but I can get one, if you let me steal from you again." Severus looked at him oddly. "Kreacher," Harry said simply and then there was a small pop and the House Elf stood before them looking both a little lost and a bit frightened.

"Master Harry is a Vampire?" Kreacher asked, as he wringed his hands nervously together.

Harry smiled. "Yes, Kreacher, could you do me a favor and bring me a blood replenishing potion from Severus Snape's stores?"

"Kreacher can do this if Master Harry wishes," he said and then popped away. He was back less than a minute later and shakily holding out the vial. Harry took it gently and then handed it to Snape, who downed it in one breath.

"You can go back now, Kreacher, I can feel how frightened you are," Harry said and then Kreacher smiled at him, bowed low and then disappeared. It was odd having a House Elf revere you, but it was also good to have him as an alley, even if he was a servant. It just meant he'd always be loyal, but Harry wouldn't ask him here often, that'd just be cruel. And someone needed to take care of Grimmauld Place.

Harry stood fluidly and then looked at his reflection in the mirror. He laughed. He couldn't help it. He was a mess. "No wonder he was frightened of me, I look horrible."

Snape slowly stood, though Harry could tell that he was still a little shaky. He was sure he should feel bad about that, but really, he was just pleased with the reaction Severus had to him taking his blood. He knew as a Human he'd probably be a little bit repulsed with himself, or at least he thought he'd be, but there was something about the man moaning for more that turned him on. Damn dominating Vampire gene. Harry looked away from Snape before he pounced on the man.

"I think it had more to do with you being a Vampire," Severus said, bringing Harry out of his thoughts. "Though a good washing would not be remiss either," he added with a smirk.

Harry shrugged and then sighed contently. "I may look terrible, but I feel wonderful."

"That's good to know, it means I don't have to try and wrestle you back into the chamber," Vantesh suddenly said from by the door. "How did you get out?"

"Vanished," said Harry simply.

"Already?" exclaimed Vantesh in surprise.

"Please not so loud," Snape said with a groan as he rubbed at his temples. "Blood replenishing potion can only do so much."

"He let you take his blood?" Vantesh exclaimed again and Snape winced. "You let him take your blood?"

"Yes," Harry said with a much softer voice. He spared Severus by not commenting on how good it had been. "Let's go find Aurelius and let Severus get some rest. I may have taken a little too much."

"He's at Lel, there was a problem…" Vantesh said and then looked at Snape uncertainly. "You aren't going to die or anything are you?"

Snape glared at him. "Hardly. I'll go find Lupin and then alert Albus. We'll see you at the Council meeting tonight," he said and then walked out of the lab.

"Remus is here?" Harry asked belatedly and then looked at Vantesh, "Council meeting?"

"You've missed quite a bit the last few days," Vantesh said and then started to leave the lab as well. He turned back when Harry didn't follow. "Are you coming?" he asked.

"To the Council?" he asked slightly bewildered.

He was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that apparently the Vampire Council was not only letting a Slayer attend, but apparently a Wizard and a Werewolf as well. Harry couldn't remember reading about that ever happening before. Clearly, there was quite a bit he'd have to catch up on.

Vantesh smirked at him. "To Lel," he said. "Did the tasty Slayer blood give you a bit of a high there, Harry?" he teased.

Harry smiled toothily. "Quite possibly," he said and then followed Vantesh.

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	27. A Problem?

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Seven – A Problem?

If it hadn't been for his actions at the last council meeting, Harry would have been returning to Lel under circumstances that were more normal, namely still as a student. But as it were, Harry could never do anything the normal way. That would make him predictable, and why be predictable when his unpredictability caused him all sorts of amusement and everyone else all sorts of trouble.

Course there was one very predictable part of his life that Harry had never really been able to squash, and that was his ability to make grand entrances at meal times, even when he really didn't want to. Harry hesitated before following Vantesh into the hall, quite ready to either run back out, or grovel at his father's feet, but as luck would have it, not a single person noticed their arrival.

Harry looked at Vantesh questioningly as they halted just inside the doorway. "A problem?" he asked remembering what the other Vampire had said earlier.

Vantesh looked around the surprisingly silent chaos that was the hall in front of them and shrugged. "I am not so sure how the Priors are going to react to this?" he said distantly and then looked around the hall again. "Where are they?"

Harry fought to keep a serious expression on his face, but really, whoever had done this couldn't have been topped by Fred and George Weasley. He lightly nudged Vantesh and then nodded up at the ceiling as he clenched his teeth to keep the smile off his face. He already had enough problems. Making fun of those not fortunate enough to avoid the prank, if that's what it was, well that would be a bad idea, especially as one of them was his father.

Vantesh's eyes followed his up to the ceiling and then the older Vampire snorted before he could stop himself. Harry clenched his teeth harder. Laughter really was contagious, but could be deadly contagious at the moment. All of the Priors and Masters, as well as a fair number of students were currently stuck to the domed ceiling, while magic flowed around the hall, going to and coming from students who either didn't realize that they were making the situation worse, or didn't have any control over themselves. Harry could only think that whoever had done this was going to be in some serious trouble at the end of the day.

"Someone really should put a stop to this before the entire hall is blown up," Harry commented lightly, but pointedly, hoping Vantesh would try and take control of the situation, as Harry really didn't want to get involved.

Vantesh shook his head as he looked at Harry incredulously. "I am no Prior, and would not even know where to begin. Besides, that is a lot of pure magic, it would likely burn me out before I got control over it," Vantesh admitted glancing to the center of the room and Harry knew that he was being truthful. It really was a lot of magic. Even standing by the door, the furthest from what appeared to be the source, Harry could feel it making the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end.

Harry glanced up at Aurelius and the other Priors who were clearly trying to weave their runes to try and dampen the magic that was holding them up there, but it wasn't working. And no wonder with the amount of magic in the hall. But really together they should have been able to put a stop to this chaos and then Harry realized that they'd probably tried. He briefly wondered if that was how they had all ended up on the ceiling.

Harry kept staring up to Aurelius, hoping his father would give him a clue as to how to help, but neither Aurelius, nor anyone else on the ceiling had taken any notice of them, it was almost as if they couldn't see them. Harry looked back to the hall and realized that the students still casting spells at each other also hadn't taken any notice of them. So it wasn't just a silencing spell over the hall.

"Vantesh, none of them can see us, it's like we're not even here," Harry pointed out.

"We must be behind some sort of ward," Vantesh said thoughtfully and then went to take a step forward. Before Harry could even think of stopping him, he promptly flew up to the ceiling, crashing into it, without a doubt painfully, if the look on Vantesh's face was anything to go by.

"Anti-gravity ward," Harry decided aloud.

He winced slightly as Aurelius started shouting silently at Vantesh. Vantesh himself winced and then quickly motioned down to where Harry was. Aurelius looked back directly at him, though Harry didn't think he actually could see him. His father said something, but Harry couldn't hear it, nor was he any good at reading lips.

He sighed. Clearly, this problem was going to be up to him to solve. Why was it always up to him? Harry looked back up at Aurelius and the others. Well he knew what he wasn't going to do, and that was enter the hall further. Maybe he could get control over the magic from here… Or, Harry smirked to himself as a sudden thought popped into his head, he could just leave. He could claim Vantesh was hallucinating him, go back to the manor and lock himself up in the chamber again. Clearly, no one had expected for him to be out yet anyway…

Harry looked back up to Aurelius again, and then shook his head to himself, yeah like that was really going to work. Besides, he couldn't in good conscious leave them all up on the ceiling like that. And even if he did ignore his conscious just this once, a healthy dose of self-preservation stopped him from following through with that thought. If Aurelius didn't kill him the other Priors, the Masters, and the students would.

He looked around the hall again, towards where he felt the most magic coming from. A group of about ten students, surprisingly none of them Vampires, was casting magic at each other using runes. The runes they were using clearly weren't meant to hurt one another, and what was really odd was that the spells didn't seem to be having any effect other than saturating the air in pure magic, which was beginning to make Harry's skin crawl, almost pleasantly. It was a weird feeling to say the least.

Harry decided to go with his original plan and started to concentrate on his runes. It was a lot of magic, but dampening even a piece of it should help the Priors and Masters get control over the situation. Harry was just about to push a rune through the ward when he felt a presence come up behind him. Almost instinctively, he called back his magic and put out his hand out to stop whoever it was from entering the hall. "You really don't want to go in there," he said and then turned around to see whose chest he had his hand on, as his hand was suddenly grabbed and held possessively.

"Leas," he began as he tried to take his hand back and then frowned when the taller Vampire wouldn't let him go. Harry then took in Leas more fully and he flushed at the heated, almost feral look in Leas' red eyes. "Umm…"

Leas seemed to look over him almost indecisively for a moment, before suddenly pulling him against his body. Harry's lips were devoured in a rather searing kiss not a heartbeat later. Harry froze for a second as his brain tried to register what was happening and then he was shoving the other Vampire off and back into the entrance way.

"Good Lord, Leas, what are you doing?" Harry demanded breathlessly as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Leas wasn't a bad kisser, actually a damn fine one, but last he'd known, they weren't even on a level that could be called friendship and the Vampire had a mate!

"Mine," Leas said simply and grabbed Harry again. He had him pinned against the wall not a second later and his lips captured Harry's again as he rubbed against him.

Harry this time struggled against the other Vampire and then managed to slip out of his hold altogether. "No, I'm certainly not yours!" Harry growled and then took a hesitant step back as Leas growled threateningly in return and started to advance on him. "Look, I don't want to fight you right now, and now's really not the time to be hashing out sexual frustrations… and you have to admit, this is all a little odd," he tried to reason uneasily as he took a step back further into the hall as Leas prowled forward, both threateningly and seductively. "Leas, I'm serious, get control of yourself!" Harry shouted taking another step back.

Leas' eyes flashed dangerously and then with a snarl he lunged at Harry. Harry quickly sidestepped the other Vampire and watched as he was pulled through the ward and upwards. Harry's triumphant smirk was suddenly lost, as not a second later, he was quickly pulled with him because of the grasp Leas had on his shirt.

"What the hell!" Leas shouted just after he hit the ceiling with thud a split second before Harry did.

"You just had to pull me with you!" Harry growled and then calmed himself as Aurelius glowered at the both of them.

"I did tell you to stay out of the hall," Aurelius said haughtily.

"And I would have, Father, if Leas hadn't decided it was time to try and take me as his mate," Harry said and glared at a bewildered looking Leas.

"I did not!" he denied and then looked around them. "What are we doing on the ceiling?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "You crossed the wards and pulled me with you," he said and then looked down at the chaos below them. "Why aren't they on the ceiling?" he asked Aurelius.

"As far as we can tell, it only happens if you cross the ward. All of them were already here," Prior Masse answered and Harry did a double take and tried not to laugh at the Centaur, who was in a clearly uncomfortable position.

"It's all really fascinating," Prior Benjamin said calmly, as if this were a regular day and nothing untoward was happening. "An amazing piece of magic, though getting down may be a bit painful."

Harry blinked at the Prior. "Please tell me that is not why you are all still stuck up here. I'm sure the inconvenience of mending a few bones isn't worth this."

"Of course it is not why we are stuck up here, Harry. That is why we are stuck up here," Aurelius growled as he motioned to the middle of the hall, where Harry had felt the magic before, but now that he was on the other side of the ward, it was all the more potent.

Harry looked at it more carefully this time and then realized that it wasn't just magic. There was an object in the middle of it, a silvery iridescent object. "Dark Silver?" he quickly questioned.

"Yes, almost liquid Dark Silver at that. It has been shifting over the last hour," Aurelius said seriously.

Harry looked back at Aurelius in surprise. "You've been stuck up here for an hour?"

"Two," Terin amended from just past Aurelius and Harry couldn't help but smirked at her.

"I suddenly don't feel so bad about getting stuck up here," Harry quipped and then at Aurelius' glare, seriously looked back at the Dark Silver that was slowly liquefying. "I know I've been kind of out of it for a while, but how did that much Dark Silver get into Lel?" he questioned.

"I would assume, him," Aurelius said as he practically glared death down at a man standing at the edge of the hall, away from the chaos.

Harry didn't know what happened then. One second something; rage, power, was welling up inside of him, and the next, he was landing roughly on the floor, his knees buckling underneath him. He righted himself quickly as the figure across the hall slowly raised his head and stared directly at Harry.

The Dark Lord turned Prowler, tilted his head slightly and then smirked in recognition. "Well if it isn't Harry Potter. I have to say, you are looking a little rough around the edges, dear Harry, but decidedly immortal again."

Harry had the sudden urge to bow and before he could stop himself, he did, but then quickly straightened back up as Voldemort laughed. "How did you get here?" Harry growled, backing away.

Voldemort smiled. "It was surprisingly easy. I simply found a student returning, and followed them here. Unfortunately that student won't be up to learning anytime soon," he said as he gave a neglectful wave to the body of a young Vampire Harry had known from a few of his classes and council meetings, he was the Heir to the Dominion Clan.

Harry looked away from the body with a nearly silent hiss when he realized that he'd been stabbed with a Dark Silver blade that was still in his stomach. He would have died agonizingly. Harry glared back at Voldemort. "What did you do to them?" he demanded.

Voldemort glanced at the students still casting spells and then back to Harry. "The same thing I am doing to you, dear Harry," he said and then Harry had the strange need to use his runes, but this time Harry clamped down on the feeling and pushed it away.

"I don't think so," he hissed.

Voldemort frowned and then smiled again. "You are ignoring my compulsion, marvelous!"

Harry narrowed his eyes at his enemy. "I'm glad you find it so fantastic," he bit out sarcastically.

"Don't you see, Harry, we are equals once again," Voldemort said.

"We are not, nor have we ever been equals. You hold too much in prophecy, Voldemort. And perhaps I should remind you, that you never actually heard the rest of that damn prophecy. _And he shall have power the Dark Lord knows not_… Would you like to know what that power is Tom?" Harry growled.

Voldemort glared at him. "Do enlighten me Harry, what is this power?"

"The power of a Destroyer," Harry said and then he focused his magic into his will and shouted sharply. "STOP!" Everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing and looked around themselves in bewilderment. Harry didn't let himself show that he was surprised that it had actually worked.

Voldemort's eyes widened and then he smirked. "A Destroyer," he whispered hungrily. "Sarae will be most pleased with me."

Before Harry had a moment to considered what Voldemort was going to do, the Prowler physically charged at him, slamming into him with such force that Harry barely registered that they'd moved across the room before he felt his back and head crash painfully into the wall. The sandstone cracked beneath the impact and Harry was left dazed for a moment too long. Voldemort took that moment to pick him up and throw him.

Almost as if in slow motion, Harry watched the dazed student's eyes widen as they followed his path and then he was slamming into the bubble of pure magic and into the liquefied Dark Silver. The pain was so intense that Harry couldn't even scream. The magic pulsed around him, through him, and his skin felt as if it was on fire. All at once, the magic was gone and then Harry was lying on his stomach on the floor, gasping through the pain still coursing through his body.

Voldemort was standing over him not a second later; he kicked him over onto his back and then pulled an object out of his robes. He turned it in his hands thoughtfully. "I was supposed to use this to bring your Master to Sarae. But I do believe she'd be much more pleased with me if I brought you instead."

Harry struggled to move, but there was no strength in him. The Dark Silver was seeping into his blood, and though he knew now that it wouldn't kill him, he also knew that he wouldn't be conscious much longer and when he woke, he'd be a prisoner again. Voldemort leaned down to touch the object to Harry's hand.

Rage welled up in Harry and he tried to use his magic to blast Voldemort away, but nothing happened and then he felt the pull of the Portkey. Suddenly something was physically slamming into him. Harry was thrown across the hall and when he landed, he saw Aurelius standing where he'd been with Voldemort's snapped neck in his grasp. The Portkey, some sort of blue jagged stone, was in several pieces not far from where Harry had landed.

Aurelius tossed Voldemort's body to the side and then Harry watched as his father fell to his knees. The Dark Silver was all over Harry, and his father had touched it! Harry struggled to move, to do something as he watched Aurelius fall onto his back, but there was nothing Harry could do and then he was suddenly being picked up.

Harry looked up to see Prior Masse's face. "Help him," he gasped out weakly.

"He's going to be all right, Harry, he had quite a bit of your blood remember. It's you we are worried about," Harry heard Vantesh say somewhere off to his side. But before he could voice his opinion of that, darkness crept around the edges of his vision and he couldn't fight against the bliss that came with unconsciousness.

…

Harry honestly couldn't say that he'd ever been so comfortable in his entire life. He felt as if he were floating on a thick layer of clouds. He was warm and safe and it was as if he had finally come home. So what the hell was that annoying buzzing noise and why wouldn't it go away and leave him in this peace?

The comfort that surrounded him slowly started to fade as first an annoying itching feeling started to creep over his skin and then as the buzzing in his ears began to turn into hushed words, the itching turned into pain. Harry groaned and he opened his eyes to find himself in the last place he'd expected to ever wake up again, the Hogwarts infirmary.

He blinked a few times in confusion and then again, when Vantesh suddenly came into his view. Vantesh in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, something about that just didn't seem right. "Okay, which am I hallucinating, the Hospital Wing or you?" Harry asked, his voice cracking slightly. "And how long have I been out?"

Vantesh smiled. "A lot has happened. I think not knowing about it right now, may be the best though," he said, his smile looking a bit nervous now. "And Aurelius forbid me from telling you if you awoke before he returned."

Harry frowned and then pushed himself up in bed. He felt awful, not as awful as he'd felt when he'd first been turned back into a Human, but still awful. It also didn't help that he felt and looked rather like a mummy right now, what with the bandages all over him. Why were there bandages all over him? Harry shook his head; he'd worry about that later. First, he needed to see Aurelius; there was something in the back of his mind that wouldn't settle until he saw him.

"Vantesh, where's Father?" Harry asked after a moment of trying to remembering what had happened.

"In Council, in the Great Hall," Vantesh replied and then cringed slightly at the confused and incredulous look that crossed Harry's face.

"The Elders are here, at Hogwarts?" Harry had to clarify because that just didn't seem right, and then he forced himself out of the bed, even though he had to fight back a gasp of pain to do so and he stumbled a few steps away.

"Harry, I'm not quite sure you're ready to face… leave the Hospital Wing. Over ninety percent of your body was saturated in Dark Silver, and it might not be able to kill you, but your body needs time to heal," Vantesh cautioned, moving towards Harry.

Harry didn't directly acknowledge what Vantesh had almost said. That he wasn't ready to face the Elders, likely not just in his current state, but also because he hadn't faced all of them since he was turned Human. And Vantesh might be right, but he needed to know what was happening and as Vantesh couldn't or wouldn't tell him, well, there was only one way to find out, at least only one Gryffindor way. Why wait when he could make such a spectacularly grand entrance!

Harry summoned the robe hanging around Vantesh's shoulders to him and then laughed quietly at the indigent look on the other Vampire's face, to keep himself from groaning in pain as the material settled onto his own-bandaged shoulders. He then swiftly left the Hospital Wing to the sound of Vantesh's protests.

Harry had basically managed to dull his senses to the pain he was in by the time he arrived at the Great Hall. He gave a brief thought towards the fact that he'd not met anyone in the halls and wondered if the students were even still in the school and then he pushed the doors open with his magic.

It was probably one of the oddest sights Harry had ever seen. The whole of the Vampire Council, the Elders and their Heirs, sitting around a large round table in the middle of the Great Hall. The House tables were gone. There wasn't a Hogwarts banner in sight. And even the enchanted ceiling seemed dull at the moment. This scene just wasn't right to Harry.

Harry didn't hesitate walking towards the table. It didn't take him long to notice that there weren't only Vampires sitting there. Most of the Hogwarts staff and the Order were there. Harry noted even Ron and Hermione were seated at the table. But the most bizarre of it all, even more strangely than the whole situation, was that the Minister of Magic and the Wizengamot were sitting there as well. This wasn't Council, this was a diplomatic meeting. Had things really escalated so much?

Harry came to a stop when half the table stood. "Masters, Mistresses," he finally said as he bowed stiffly in front of the lot.

Several voices then spoke at once and Harry for a moment had to sift through them all to register what they were all saying over one another. He actually flinched at the higher pitched of the lot. There were the basic, "What are you doing out of bed, Harry?" and "Are you all right, Harry?" and "How are you even still standing, Potter?" from the Weasley's, Remus, and the last from Lucius Malfoy.

It was the other exclamations of, "Potter? Harry Potter," and "I thought he was dead," and "Didn't he kill his uncle?" and the more obvious, "What the hell happened to him?" that Harry droned out the most and came from mostly the Wizengamot.

The Elders and Heirs were silent, though Harry supposed they were probably waiting for an explanation about his sudden appearance, the fact that he now felt like a born Vampire, and he was quite positive they were definitely going to have something to say about the whole Slayer thing, if their ridged postures were anything to go by.

But out of all of it, Aurelius' voice was the one that Harry acknowledged, and only because the first sight of the man sent a feeling through Harry that left him a bit dazed. "I told Vantesh to keep you away from here," he said, stepping out from his spot at the table and glared at said Vampire over Harry's shoulder, who'd just run into the room after him.

"I'm sorry, Master," Vantesh sighed, bowing. "He got away from me."

"I didn't give him a chance," Harry said absently, and then looked around at those at the table, some who were looking at him in clear shock, and then he looked back to Aurelius.

At first, Harry didn't quite understand what he was feeling towards his father, but then it became plain to him when his scattered memories formed into a clear picture. Voldemort, who was responsible for making his mortal life miserable since he was the age of one; who had killed his parents and so many others. Who Harry had faced time and time again, but had always come away with his life barely intact, had died at Aurelius' hand so easily, while Harry was standing there in bandages, and missing days of time. Harry was furious. While his anger and rage normally burned hot, this fury left him glacier cold.

"You killed Voldemort," he said as he stared at Aurelius.

That revelation clearly had not come about in the meeting yet as his father's quiet answer was drowned out by the uproar at the table. But Harry still heard it. "I did."

Harry narrowed his eyes and the voices fell silent abruptly when Aurelius was suddenly lifted into the air. He made a choking noise as Harry swept towards him. He looked up into his father's uncertain eyes. "His life was not yours to take," Harry said coolly. "It was mine," he hissed and then looked away from the man.

Aurelius was abruptly released and he crumbled to the ground. He took a moment before he stood and straightened out his robes. The Vampires in the room stared between Harry and Aurelius, some in trepidation, some in anticipation. The Wizards likewise remained silent, waiting.

Aurelius finally looked to his son and then swept forward and grabbed Harry around the back of his neck, and pulling his hair back, forced Harry to look up at him. Harry glared into his father's eyes, but there was no defiance in him. He didn't have the energy to fight him.

"I am sorry," Aurelius said softly and then pulled Harry into his arms. Harry bit back a gasp of pain before settling. "He was yours," his father acknowledged. "But I refuse to lose you again."

Harry laid his head on his father's shoulder, his fury leaving him just as swiftly as it had come. Though it physically pained him to do so, he wrapped his arms around his father, hugging him back. Harry understood why he had become so angry with his father. Voldemort had been the bane of Harry's existence for so long, the prophecy aside, he felt as if destroying the Dark Lord was his responsibility, was his right, and he wouldn't deny that he wanted revenge as well. But he also understood his father's feelings.

"Sarae is mine," Harry whispered before his father released him and Aurelius nodded.

"Yes, she is," he agreed seriously and then led Harry to his own seat at the table and made him sit, Harry didn't protest, though some of the Elders and almost all of the Wizengamot, including the Minister, stared at him uncertainly.

He'd just shown a great deal of power against his Master, and the fact that Aurelius hadn't struck him down for it was startling in itself. The Elders were all sitting up just a bit more than before. The fact that every Wizard at the table now knew that Harry was alive and a Vampire, had most everyone at the table sitting uneasy.

Aurelius placed his hands gently on Harry's shoulders. "Harry is my chosen Heir," he stated. "He is a born Vampire, equal to all of you," he said, indicating all of the Elders, who bristled some at that. "He has shown time and time again that he is willing to sacrifice everything, including himself for the Clans, and just two days ago, he did so again to save Lel without thought. Harry was raised by Wizards and taught by us. He knows our enemy more intimately than any of us could possibly hope to. Therefore, I am appointing Harry the liaison between the Vampires and the Wizards. Are there any objections?"

Harry looked up at his father as if he'd gone mad. He strongly wanted to object himself, he really didn't want that responsibility, but he held his tongue and looked first to the Elders and then to the Wizards around the table. The Elders all glanced at each other silently, as if having their own little conversation and then one by one shook their heads. The Wizards were a different matter.

Cornelius Fudge stood up. "By our laws, that boy should be in Azkaban for the murder of his uncle."

"It is true that Harry killed Vernon Dursley," Aurelius said coolly, tightening his hold on Harry's shoulder to tell him to remain silent, not that Harry had any thought to speak, even in his own defense, he was actually quite sick of defending himself. "However it was a case of accidental magic. Vernon Dursley hit Harry in his anger and Harry's magic hit him back in defense. He did not murder him."

Someone stood and whispered into Fudges ear and then sat back down again, looking at the Vampires pointedly while Fudge looked to think some on whatever was said to him. "Very well, if it was indeed an accident and self-defense and can be proven as such, then Potter will be cleared of that charge. But there is just one more matter. Besides the fact that you all have hidden from us, made us believe you were extinct, you have turned Potter without ministry approval. Was this not a law that all of the Clans agreed upon concerning the turning of Wizards?"

Some of the Elders looked at Aurelius as if wondering what his Master was going to say to that. But it was Harry who spoke up. "I was born a Vampire," he said quietly. "I wasn't aware that I was, and though there was a magical block suppressing the Vampire gene when I was first turned, I was never under your law, because I've always been a Vampire. And if that isn't enough for you, consider this. I am also a Mage; I was accepted at Lel before I was accepted at Hogwarts, but again I wasn't aware of it."

The minister opened his mouth and then closed it, his eyes widening slightly. "You accepted a Mage into Hogwarts?" he demanded, glaring incredulously at the Headmaster.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Placing blame, Minister, for things that happened in the past is going to get you no closer to solving your problems of the here and now. What we need now is deceive action, not the squabbling of old men." Harry dared to look at the Elders as well as the Wizengamot when he said this. Aurelius briefly tightened his hand on his shoulder but then loosened his grip.

"My son is correct. We need to act. Every moment that goes by gives Sarae more time to build her army. The Prowlers she is creating may seem weaker, but if she is training them to use their abilities as she did with Voldemort, then we cannot be complacent. Her attacks on the Clans and her attack on Lel has told us that she has no fear and that means she is only getting stronger."

"She attacked the Clans!" Harry exclaimed incredulously. "Is that why we're all here?"

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	28. To Unleash

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Eight – To Unleash…

It was bloody strange being at Hogwarts with the Clans and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry had decided after just one day. And it was bloody annoying as well, he'd decided after two. Now it was a week later and Harry was officially the _peacekeeper_ between the two factions; or rather, he was just trying to prevent bloodshed without offending anyone more powerful than himself so that he wouldn't have to suffer for it. Most of the time it was Harry apologizing for the Humans to the Vampires, not that either were particularly more or less offensive or anything, but placating the Vampires in the castle seemed to be more important than hurting any of the Human's feelings. After all, treaty or no treaty, the Vampires were a little more quick to anger and quicker still at retaliating. Not to forget that the Vampires currently in residence outnumbered the Humans almost ten to one.

Luckily or not so luckily as only time would tell, most backed down from whatever current argument was being had when he walked into the room. As seemed to be the case at the current moment. Remus and Josef seemed to butt heads more than anyone else in the entire castle. Harry didn't know what their problem was, but the Wolf and Elder Vampire were continuously at each other's throats. And he found himself wishing at times that they'd just get over whatever it was that kept them at odds. They were acting like children really.

The two moved away from each other rather quickly when Harry walked into the Great Hall. Whatever their argument was this time, it clearly wasn't heated enough to continue. Harry shook his head as he walked towards the spot Aurelius was sitting with an amused smirk on his lips.

"Encouraging them isn't going to give them any more reason to fight," Harry said dryly.

"Ah, but it amuses me."

"I'm sure. What are they arguing about now?" he asked taking a seat across from his father.

"You of course," Aurelius answered blandly.

Harry turned to look at the two, but they were both ignoring him. "Right," he muttered and then turned back to his father.

"And something or another that you did to Severus Snape?" Aurelius added, questioned really.

"Something or another?" asked Harry and then realized what that might be. "Oh, you mean nearly draining him," he said uncomfortably, but not apologetically. He still remembered vividly how Snape had reacted. He hadn't really had much contact with the man since; he'd thought it might be too awkward, for the man. He didn't feel awkward about what he'd done at all. His un-comfortableness came from the knowledge that he really wanted to do it again.

Aurelius smirked at him. "That good?"

Harry glared at his father for reading his surface thoughts, but declined from giving him a verbal response. Aurelius just laughed at him.

"So," Aurelius said after a long moment where Harry sat watching those in the Great Hall. It was not long after lunch and most had returned to whatever rooms had been assigned to them, but a few were still about, talking, playing chess, rather mundane sorts of things in the light of a war nearly at their doorstep. "What brings you here? I had thought that you and Terinnia were going to be _sparring_ all day?" he added in amusement.

Harry shrugged, not looking at his father. "We did, we're done." He looked back to see Aurelius giving him an odd sort of look, and Harry decided to change the subject to the real reason he was here. "I probably should have mentioned this a little while ago, but there's something… odd about the dungeons. I noticed it when I was Human too," he added quickly. "Has anyone else sensed anything?" he asked carefully.

Aurelius shook his head narrowing his eyes at Harry. "And neither have I."

Harry smiled slightly. "Good, good, I probably imagined the whole thing then," he said rather unconvincingly.

"But you should check it out anyway," Aurelius said, still staring at his son.

"You think?" Harry asked and then shook his head. "It's probably nothing, a stray thought, but you know curiosity and all…"

Aurelius sighed. "Harry, you do not need my permission to go exploring Hogwarts, this is not the manor, there are no sleeping Vampires hidden away here."

Harry laughed shortly. "Right," he said remembering all too well his father's reaction upon waking his brother.

"But on the off chance that something untoward is down there, bring someone…" he paused here and a truly evil look crossed over his eyes. "Bring Severus Snape with you; he seems to be the master of the Dungeons here."

Harry stared at his father and then stood. "You're evil!" He declared and then left the Great Hall to the sound of Aurelius' laughter and the few still there staring after him.

Harry rolled his eyes, but his destination was indeed in search of the Potions Master. His father may have been teasing him, but he had a point, Snape did know the dungeons. And things couldn't remain awkward between them forever. So what if he enjoyed it, he wasn't going to do it again, or at least he had no plans to.

It was a pity though that the one place Snape was at the moment was the one place in the entire castle, Harry had been avoiding. He had found that since he'd become a full-blooded Vampire, he could sense where anyone was in the entire castle so long as he knew them.

Harry concentrated, well not so much, really just thought it and in the next moment, he was appearing though a thin cloud of black in the Headmaster's cluttered office. That was another thing he'd come to notice, Vanishing himself had become so much more easy.

"Apparently, in answer to your question, Albus, yes, he is a typical Vampire," Snape sneered dryly, tea cup halfway to his lips and Harry snorted as he walked across the room and helped himself to a seat in one of the two chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk without being invited.

He turned to Severus, ignoring the Headmaster for the moment. "Not so typical, but I do indulge in the pleasures of my race from time to time," Harry said honestly and then finally looked at Dumbledore. "And why is it that whenever I enter a room, it seems like someone's talking about me?" he added and then shook his head. "Never mind, I did not come up here to talk about me; I want to know about the Dungeons."

"The Dungeons?" asked Dumbledore. "What about them?"

Snape only raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore's question. "Are you referring to that feeling you had?" he asked Harry.

"Feeling?" Dumbledore asked, repeated.

Harry smirked and thought briefly at how long he and Snape could make the old man repeat everything said and then shook his head again. It was not the time or place really. "Yes, feeling. While I was Human wasn't the only time I'd felt it though," he added for Snape. "The first time I was down there with you, I was nearly overwhelmed by the scent of blood, old blood, and lots of it. And it wasn't Human; it was Vampire, Born Vampire."

"It can't be," Snape said, shaking his head. "Born Vampires have not been seen here in Britain for centuries, and even longer at Hogwarts. If something had happened here to a Born Vampire, I would know; the book would have given me the history near the moment I brought it to Hogwarts, as I told you before."

"Well something happened here, something terrible. I was down there earlier; I didn't follow it to its source, but I was getting phantom memories," Harry said seriously. "I don't normally have that gift. Visions sure, but not someone's old memories, and I don't think I should, even after everything. So the blood had to have been charged by magic, which means that the Vampire must have been very strong."

"Are you certain, Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "Hogwarts has always been a school; the Dungeons have always been used as they are now. There would have been a recorded history if a Born Vampire had been killed here."

Harry only nodded. "With your permission, Headmaster, I would like to explore some more, to see if I can ascertain what happened." He didn't really need the headmaster's permission, and would still go even if he said no, but he thought he'd show him that he was at least still polite, if not blood thirsty, he didn't think he'd ever get the Humans in his life over that stigma.

Dumbledore hesitated, but then nodded. "I don't see the harm in it, but don't go alone, bring Severus with you."

Harry almost snorted at the irony. Maybe the old man had noticed that Harry had been avoiding Severus too. He glanced at the Slayer. "If you think that's wise," he said.

"Like I have said, Potter, if I were going to kill you, I would have done so the moment I saw you," Snape said dryly.

Harry snorted as he stood from his seat. He leaned over so that his lips were close to Severus' ear. "That's not what I'm worried about," he said simply and Snape glared at him. He leaned back, smirking at the man. "Well, if you aren't doing anything at the moment, we can go now, if you'd like."

"I'll meet you in the entrance hall in twenty minutes," Snape said, not looking at Harry as he turned back to Dumbledore, clearly dismissing him. Harry gave the man's back a feral smile as he Vanished. He could swear he heard the man grinding his teeth.

…

Once Harry and Severus had reached the Dungeons, they walked in the direction that, from here, the dim scent was emanating from. As they approached and then passed Severus' quarters, the odor became more pronounce and the atmosphere became heavily charge as if they were standing beside several electrical conductors.

"How can you not feel that?" Harry asked. "Anything with magic should be able to feel how charged the air is down here."

"I feel nothing, Potter, perhaps you are hallucinating," Severus said with a smirk.

Harry shook off a phantom memory and cleared his mind, raising his barriers against them. "I do not hallucinate," he said coolly and they walked on in silence for quite a long while. They went down corridors and up corridors and then finally they found a hall that ended in a plain stonewall, that looked exactly like all the other walls in the Dungeons.

Harry frowned as he looked over it. It seemed as if it were a regular wall, but Harry knew that there was something behind it. The memories were trying to press into his mind and Harry was having a hard time pushing them away. There was so much pain, so much anger…

"A dead end, wonderful, Potter," Snape sneered, bringing Harry sharply out of a phantom memory that had slipped his shields. Harry glared at him and then his glare turned to pure mirth at Snape's next suspicious words. "You didn't bring me down here to get another taste did you, because…"

Harry laughed lowly, his voice echoing of the walls. "Tempting Severus," he almost purred. "Very tempting," he added, sliding towards the man.

Snape stepped back. "You are riotous Potter, really," he said sardonically. "There's nothing here," he added and started to stalk back down the hall.

"There's something behind this wall. And there must be a way through. Perhaps we missed a turn…" Harry muttered to himself.

Severus raised his wand, holding a Lumos Charm so he could see more clearly back the way they had come. "There are no turns, no paintings, and if I'm not mistaken, this entire area is devoid of magic with the exception of the torches. There is nothing here, Harry."

"You are mistaken," Harry whispered as he suddenly realized something he should have immediately and then he shouted sharply. Snape looked at him as if he were crazy. Harry's voice echoed around them, but not from the wall in front of them. Harry didn't hesitate to point that out. "No echo!" He said excitedly and then stepped straight through the wall.

"Harry!" yelled Severus as he disappeared.

Harry turn back and saw that the wall looked just as solid on this side. Evidently, it was like the wall onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, yet he was clearly not in another location, as with the platform at Kings Cross. He could still hear Severus' voice, though it was muffled as if there was a wooden door between them. Fascinating.

"Just walk through it!" Harry yelled back at Severus' shouts and he looked around the hallway he was in. It got darker as it went on since the torches stopped just where he was standing.

"If I could walk through the blasted wall you imbecilic boy, I'd have done so by now!" Severus shouted, with a clear sneer in place, but also clear anxiousness. Was he worried about him?

Harry chuckled in amusement and then made to walk back through again to see if pulling the man through would work. He abruptly found the wall completely solid. He tried Vanishing, but nothing happened. "Shite, Aurelius is going to kill me," Harry muttered and then raised his voice in what he hoped was a nonchalant sort of manner. "I seem to have a problem. I can't get back through."

"What do you mean you can't get back through?" Snape's muffled voice came back to Harry.

"Just that, the wall is solid now!" Harry shouted. "Uh, look, stay there, or get Dumbledore, or Father or something. I'm going to continue on, I think there maybe something down here with me…" And it sure felt that way.

"What? What do you mean you think there is something down there with you?" Harry didn't answer as he cautiously started to move away and down the darkened hallway. "Potter. Potter! Harry! Get back here this instant you fool and talk to me!" Harry stopped listening.

The hallway got even darker as Harry continued down it and it soon became too dark for even his enhanced eyes. He brought forth a rune and formed it to create a ball of fire that floated beside him as he walked. "Hello," Harry called hesitantly as he continued down the corridor towards what he now realized was a very large room. Nothing answered him, but his own dimmed echo.

It was then that Harry realized that the memories had stopped, stopped almost the moment he'd stepped through the wall in fact. He finally reached the room and stepped through the archway into it. He looked around the smooth round walls and saw several torches at evenly spaced intervals.

"Convenient," he muttered and then raised his fist and then opened his hand, splitting the fireball into many small ones and sent them towards each of the torches. Each burst into flame and the room was lit up brightly.

Harry took in the room as a whole as he looked around it carefully. It appeared to be empty, there wasn't even any furniture or adornments, but Harry could feel that he wasn't alone, which was unnerving him quite a bit. And even more so because whatever or whoever was here, it felt like they were reaching for him.

He walked further into the room and then he stopped in his tracks as he suddenly realized what kind of room he was in. If the familiar, yet more elaborate design to the floor wasn't a dead giveaway, the chains that hung from the walls definitely spelled it out for him. Rusted chains for that matter, one that still had old Human blood on it if that was indeed what he was smelling. And there were barely clothed bones beneath it…

Harry immediately backed up towards the tunnel, but suddenly found a wall in his path. He spun around. "Just great," he whispered as he stared at where the doorway was supposed to be and then turned back to the rest of the room.

This Bloodletting Chamber was much larger than the one at the Manor. And there were more spots for blood bags… or Humans to hang. He looked at the center of the room again. There wasn't a slightly raised dais there, but a square indent instead. Was that what he was feeling, an Elder Vampire still asleep and trying to call to him? Like Josef had?

"What the Hell have I walked into?" he whispered to himself.

Harry supposed that it was possible there was someone asleep here, but why. Why would an Elder Vampire be hibernating inside Hogwarts, a Wizarding school? Harry slowly walked toward the middle, keeping his distance from the canals in the stone. They were stained a rusty red. This room had been used, a lot.

He stopped at the middle indented ring that circled the smooth square slab in the center of the floor and then took a nervous step back as he saw the holes that were interspersed throughout the ring and then he looked at the canals that intersected the ring. They didn't just lead to the center, but to other circles with square indents that surrounded the one in the middle. Harry quickly walked back towards the wall. He knew one thing for certain, whether or not there was an Elder Vampire here, or more than one, he was not sticking around to find out.

Harry first tried once again to Vanish from the room, but nothing happened again. Obviously, the room had wards on it that prevented even Vampires from coming and going. He ran his hand over the wall where he knew the archway had been before, but there was nothing but smooth stone. He pushed on the wall, to see if it was pressure activated, but it didn't budge and then he looked to his left and right. The wall looked exactly the same all the way around. Maybe he'd gotten turned around. He walked to the next section of wall and again tried to push on it, but nothing. He did this several more times until he finally stopped and leaned back against the wall in frustration and a little bit of fear.

He kicked the wall behind him with his foot and glared at the center of the room. He was beginning to wonder if this was a trap specifically made for Vampires, as there appeared to be no way out. Harry pushed himself off the wall and then pushed his hands against the wall one more time, this time using a bit of magic. His hands glowed and then he jumped away from the wall with a hiss of pain.

Harry looked shocked down at his right and left hands, which were now covered in blood from tiny pinpricks, and more of it was welling up from deep gashes in the center of his palms. He watched and waited, but it didn't start to heal at all. While he was waiting, he didn't notice the blood running swiftly from two small holes on the other side of his hands and onto the stone at his feet, that was, until he heard it.

He swung around as the sliding noise stopped, but was then followed by another, and then another, and another. Harry watched fearfully as slowly the squares all split in two and each half slid into the floor. It was then he noticed the blood running quickly through the canal towards the center.

"Shite!" Harry quickly ripped off his shirt and wrapped it around his hands, stanching the blood, but he was afraid that the damage had already been done.

He frantically started pushing on all the walls again, remembering his Father's words clearly, from when he'd stumbled across Josef the first time. He didn't need to look in the stone coffins to know that he had just woken several likely very starved Vampires, Vampires that at this very moment would be willing to take just about any blood they could get. He really didn't want to get his blood drained from him again, especially as it would end in his death.

Harry stilled as he felt a presence directly behind him, a very magically strong presence. A sort of familiar presence. He could feel a cool breath on his neck and he didn't dare turn around. "I thank you for releasing us, Childe," a rough voice hissed into Harry's ear and then his head was yanked to the side. Harry cried out as his neck was torn into and his blood was taken from him.

Harry felt strong arms encircle his torso as he grew weaker and was unable to support himself any longer. "Please," Harry found himself whispering as darkness began to cloud is vision. "Please stop, I don't want to die."

Harry was just seeing red when the Vampire withdrew his fangs from his neck. "Then you shall not," he whispered and then lifted Harry into his arms.

Harry tried to struggle as he saw where he was being carried to. "No," he pleaded as he was lowered down into the stone coffin. "Please!"

"Hush, Childe." The Vampire bit into his wrist and held it out to Harry. "Drink, it will make you stronger." Harry shook his head, but the pale wrist was shoved into his mouth, forcing Harry to feed as his instincts took over for his starved mind. "Good, take what you need," he said soothingly.

Harry instinctively brought his hands up to cup the wrist as he drank, he didn't get more than a few mouthfuls of the intoxicating blood before he started to feel drowsy. His hands limply fell to his sides as darkness crept further into his vision and the wrist was removed from his lips.

"Now _sleep_, my love, I shall return for you," he promised and Harry couldn't fight the compulsion as his eyes closed and he slipped into oblivion.

...

Terin was reading in the sitting room off the rooms meant for her Clan, the Hufflepuff Wing, as the old Wizard Dumbledore had called it. She was rather bored out of her mind and a bit irritated. Harry said that he'd spar with her, and they had for a little while, but the moment she made a motion to initiate something a little more fun than sparring, he had left without so much as a word of excuse. Didn't even look at her.

She wouldn't be the first to admit aloud that the action concerned her slightly, but it did. There was something off about Harry, and had been since he'd nearly died at Lel. Or maybe since he'd woken. Everyone had thought that the amount of Dark Silver he'd been saturated in should have done him in, not that anyone had actually said anything to that fact or she was sure Master Aurelius would have torn their heads off. And then he'd recovered and not only that, but he hadn't even scarred. It was as if it had never happened. Even Master Aurelius bore the scars of the Dark Silver he'd touched. It was very strange.

Terin closed her book calling it a lost cause. She wanted to know what exactly was going on with her friend. She would think it stress or something, but she'd known him a while and even when he was angry he'd never treated her like she was nothing to him, like she wasn't his friend.

She would have asked him earlier, had thought about asking him, but he'd left so fast. But the more she thought on it, the more she'd convinced herself not to wait for him to come back to her. Terin nodded to herself decisively. She was going to go looking for Harry right now and demand answers even if it made him angry.

She was just putting the book she'd been reading back on the low shelf next to her seat when she felt a surge of magic. And then a young man, no older looking then she was appeared in front of her. He wore white tattered robes, and had really long tangled dark brown hair, and his skin was a bit dusty, but it took away from his too ethereal beauty absolutely nothing. She dropped the book and scrambled to stand as the Elder Vampire stepped towards her.

"You are his friend," the Vampire hissed lightly, raising his hands to cup her face, Terin flinched slightly. She could feel the Vampire's magic wash over her skin as he touched her. "Do not fear me, Childe, I will not harm you. He released us from our prison and he, all of you, shall be rewarded."

"Forgive me, Master, please where is Harry?" Terin asked trembling slightly.

The Elder released her and stepped away. "He is resting now. I will awaken him again when I am back to my full strength," he said as he looked around the room. "This castle has changed much. What year is it?" he demanded.

"Nineteen Ninety-Eight, Master," Terin answered timidly.

"Too many years, I have been imprisoned," he growled. "Curse you Cantus!"

Terin flinched back and then sighed in relief when the Elder disappeared. She'd never been in the presence of an Elder so powerful before and that was saying something since she was quite often in Master Aurelius' presence. What had Harry done? What had he unleashed? Terin stilled as he recalled what he'd said. Harry was resting… Sleeping!

Terin tore out of the room in search of her father or Aurelius, or anyone who knew where in Hogwarts a sleeping chamber might be, because that was surely where they'd find Harry. She didn't have to go far and ran into Severus Snape running from the opposite direction, but clearly, like her, towards the stairs that lead to the Great Hall.

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued…_


	29. Past, Present, and Future

_**Author's Disclaimer**__: Harry Potter and the Wizarding World belong to Rowling._

Chapter Twenty-Nine – Past, Present, and Future…

"He's so different, not just because he's a Vampire again. He carries himself differently and speaks differently, and he's so cold," Hermione whispered to Ron as they sat in a corner of the Library. "I don't know what they did to him before, but I know our old friend is in there somewhere. I saw it before he unblocked the Vampire gene. We just have to figure out a way to reach him again."

"I don't know, Hermione, I think we lost our friend the night he killed his uncle." Hermione glared at Ron. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think Harry killed him in cold blood or anything like that either, but something must have happened to make Harry snap, or he wouldn't have pushed him down the stairs. I mean he's impulsive sometimes, but not that impulsive."

Hermione shook her head sadly. "It was his magic that pushed his uncle down the stairs, but Dumbledore should have just let him come to the Burrow and it wouldn't have ever happened."

Ron nodded. "What do you think it's been like for him?" he asked after a few moments of silence.

"What, since he became a Vampire again you mean?"

Ron shook his head. "That too I suppose, but I mean since You Know – V-Voldemort was killed. He seemed so angry with Aurelius, like he'd taken his revenge or something. I've never seen him that angry. For a minute, I thought he might kill him and then he just brushed it all off as if it were unimportant."

"Well he was in a room full of Elder Vampires, and he was still injured. Maybe he just decided to accept it rather than fight with him. I've read a little about the Vampires. There isn't a lot to read on them, mind, but what I did learn was that young Vampires are expected to defer to older Vampires, Elder Vampires. What Harry did to Aurelius, just showing that he had power over him like that… well as appalling as it sounds, I'm surprised he's not still in the Hospital Wing."

"You mean Aurelius should have beaten the shite out of him," Fred suddenly said bluntly from over Hermione's shoulder and the two looked up at the twins with two different expressions. Ron a look of horror on his face, and Hermione an unimpressed glare.

"Well yes, but I wouldn't have said it with such vulgarity," Hermione said as the twins sat down at the table without being invited.

"You mean that Aurelius would have beaten him right there in front of everyone?" Ron questioned.

Hermione nodded. "I think under any other circumstances, he would have."

"Wow," Ron muttered looking shell-shocked.

"Oh, come on there's no need to feel sorry for him, he's a _Vampire_ now," George practically sneered and both Ron and Hermione looked at him in abhorrence.

"What's that have to do with anything? He's still Harry," Hermione said with anger coming to her voice.

"Is he?" Fred asked. "I doubt anything of Harry is really left in that monster."

"Hey, that's my friend you're talking about," Ron snapped at his brother. "Harry might be a little different, but he's not a monster!"

"He _was_ your friend," George insisted. "He _was_ ours too. But he's changed, he's not Harry anymore, trust us."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, practically demanded. "You two thought it was _"so cool"_ that he was a Vampire, when he came back. You said that, joked with him about it. What happened?"

Fred looked away from Hermione with hurt in his eyes. George shook his head.

"What?" Ron asked. "Did he do something, say something?"

The twins glanced at each other and then looked to Ron and Hermione. "We overheard, this morning while he was talking to that healer, Vantesh or something. He said we were all dead. You two, us, Remus, Dumbledore, the Order. He said we were all dead and that Hogwarts belonged to the Vampire Clans now," George said crossly.

"No he didn't!" Hermione exclaimed, shocked. "H-he must have been saying it in another context o-or something. Or you must have misheard."

"We didn't mishear, Hermione. He said plain as day, calmly, coldly that we were all dead," Fred said sadly. "And Vantesh agreed with him."

Ron shook his head and then stood. "I won't believe it until I talk to him myself. Coming Hermione?" he asked as he turned to leave.

Hermione stood and nodded. "Yes." She glared at the twins. "You shouldn't immediately believe the worst of everything you overhear, especially from a friend. He could have been making an argument, and you only heard part of it."

Fred and George looked uncertainly at each other and then stood. "Wait, we'll come with you," Fred said.

"I hope you two are right, but just in case you aren't, a couple more wands might be helpful," George added.

The four exited the Hogwarts Library but didn't get four feet down the hallway when two Vampires appeared before them, but they were unlike any of the Vampires any of them had been introduced to. For one thing the close they were wearing were positively ancient looking, and another thing, their eye were both blood red and they were giving the four of them very hungry glares.

"Umm, something about this, doesn't feel right," Ron muttered, already backing away, pulling Hermione with him.

Fred and George both put themselves in front the two. "Run," Fred ordered over his shoulder just as one of the Vampires lunged for George and the other for his twin.

"Fred, George," Ron yelled even as he pulled his wand.

…

_Harry dreamed. He didn't know how he knew he was dreaming; only that he was. But it felt so real. The wood under his fingertips felt as wood should feel. The cool air that circulated around him lightly chilled his skin just as it should. There was nothing dreamlike about this reality. But he knew he wasn't awake. Because he remembered taking that Vampire's blood, he remembered being ordered to sleep and being unable to resist the compulsion. He hadn't been woken up yet._

_He was seated in a large long hall, a throne room. The walls, floors, and the pillars that held up the three-story tall ceiling were made of black marble, and the sunlight that filtered in through giant stain glass windows reflected off the stone in a multitude of colors. There was soft music coming from one side of the room, and people… Vampires, more Vampires than Harry had ever thought he'd see in one place, were standing around; talking softly to one another. The lightweight, bright colored clothes they were wearing weren't anything Harry was familiar with, but it didn't seem strange either. It didn't seem strange that he was wearing the same garments._

_It was all quickly dismissed as unimportant as a horn suddenly sounded throughout the room and Harry found himself standing without the thought to do so. It was as he smiled softly and the feelings of devotion, of love, washed over him when the crowd parted and a young man strode forward, that he realized he wasn't himself. He was feeling another's emotions as if they were his own, seeing through someone else's eyes. Just as he had once done through Nagini, through Voldemort._

_Those the young man passed bowed low with reverence and he nodded to them, but his dark blue eyes never left Harry. Almost as if he was the only one he saw. As he reached Harry, he held out his hand to him and Harry found himself placing his hand in his, even as he bowed. The Vampire pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles and smirked at Harry as if he knew a secret no one else but the two of them were privy too. Harry smirked back and let himself be seated again._

_As the Vampire sat beside Harry, he realized as he gazed upon him, that he was the same Vampire who had put him to sleep. Was it him who was making Harry have this dream? He wanted to ask, but he had no control to do so. It was as if, and maybe it was so, he was witnessing someone's memory through their eyes. The Vampire motioned his hand lightly and Harry looked to see seven similarly dressed Vampires come forward out of the crowd. They each bowed to them both and then took the remaining seats to either side of them._

_Another horn sounded a short while later and talking in the hall stopped abruptly. The crowd parted again, but what came this time were not Vampires, but three dark haired men clad in silver iridescent armor with swords sheathed at their sides. Harry stood once again and left the side of the Vampire. He embraced each of the men in turn, as they stopped in front of him._

"_Brothers," Harry said as he took a step back towards the still seated Vampires. "Thanos, Allan, Mikael, allow me to introduce King Alexandros, the leader of the Vampire nation and my mate."_

_The Vampires around them were silent as their King stood, but seemed to be wary at the same time. "Welcome to the Vampire Court, Knights of Gallegan." A hushed murmur swept through the crowd at the announcement._

_One of the three stepped forward and bowed. "Thank you King Alexandros, we look forward to our brother's union with you, and to the peace it will bring to our lands."_

_Harry smiled. "And it will bring peace, Thanos! Once we show our family that the Covenant can be broken, they will realize that peace can exist between us!"_

"_Broken?" Thanos exclaimed even as the two behind him looked incredulously at Harry._

_Harry stepped towards them again. "I intend to be turned. I will be turned," he said seriously._

_And Harry would have been gaping had he control. These people in front of him were the brothers. He was witnessing the memory of the four brothers who'd broken the Slayer Covenant, through the eyes of one of them! But what made it all the more surreal was that he was also standing amongst the Vampire Court, which according to the Clan's history had vanished before even the Prowlers had been created. It was then Harry realized who he had woken..._

_The Vampire King came forward and Harry found himself taking the hand held out to him. "The Covenant has already been broken. Magic has proved stronger than blood," Alexandros stated. "Kaledan had wished to greet you as a Human. He will be turned this evening and then we will be bound together for eternity."_

"_And I wish for my brothers to join me," Harry said as he held out his other hand towards the three. "We can all live an eternity and will no longer have to fight."_

"_So easily you have broken the Covenant that our family has lived by for thousands of years?" Thanos nearly shouted and Allan and Mikael both reached for their swords as the Vampires shifted around them._

"_The oath our ancestors took no longer applies in our world," Harry countered. "The Covenant has controlled us, our family for too long. You may think the power we have because of it is a gift, but have we not fought our entire lives, and for what? To lose the ones we love. To be driven to madness for our need to destroy? The Vampires live just as we do. They breath, they're hearts beat, they are born. Why should we deny them life?"_

"_You speak thus because a Vampire is your mate," Allan said almost softly._

_Harry shook his head. "Yes, and no, when the Covenant was broken, the… __**hate**__ in me disappeared and I realized that the Covenant, the oath our ancestors took to gain their power was the only reason I felt the need to destroy them. That compulsion is gone, and I no longer see the Vampires as my enemy and I no longer feel that they need to be."_

"_A compulsion?" Thanos asked._

"_I believe that is what it was, Thanos," Harry said gently. "Brothers, we all know magic comes with a price, perhaps the compulsion is our price. Please allow Alexandros to free you of the Covenant and you will see ..."_

"Wake up."

…

The school was in an uproar as Vantesh arrived into it. Vampires from all of the Clans were in the entrance hall with alarmed looks on their faces and shouting was coming from the Great Hall. He glanced warily at the groups, before moving towards the commotion, curious as to what could have happened in the short amount of time he was away.

He had been gone from Hogwarts for most of the day at Harry's behest. Harry had wanted to know if his blood had changed since he'd become a Vampire again. Vantesh was sure it had, but he was even more sure Harry meant since he'd become a Destroyer. But Vantesh didn't have the equipment in Hogwarts to test Harry's blood; so he'd gone to the nearest Muggle hospital to use their equipment. What he had found frankly disturbed him more than seeing Harry's blood resemble that of Prowler blood. Now he had to decide whether or not to tell Harry first, or Master Aurelius.

"You just let him walk into an unknown situation and be put to sleep!" Terin was yelling as Vantesh stopped short in the threshold of the Great Hall. The Elders were all there, some of the Hogwarts staff as well. They were all sitting around the large table, well not Terin at the moment.

"I didn't just let him do anything," Snape seethed. "I told him not to continue on, but like a fool he had to follow his Gryffindor instincts..."

"Enough! Harry sleeping is worrisome yes, but we should be focusing on those Vampires who have been attacking the Clans. And how they got here," Master Aeolian said coolly and Terin backed down, slowly sitting again and looking embarrassed with herself. "And more importantly what Clan they belong to."

"Indeed, Harry can be found later," Aurelius agreed regrettably. "Terinnia, the Vampire who confronted you, he didn't attack you?"

Terin shook her head. "No, Master, but he was powerful. The most powerful Elder I have ever seen. And he knew that I was Harry's friend, like he had memories of me himself."

"Some Elders can take memories from the blood," Master Aeolian told his daughter. "It is very rare, but if he took Harry's blood, he would know you."

"If he took Harry's blood, we may have a problem," Vantesh finally said as firmly as his nerves allowed him as he stepped forward. It had been a while since he'd been faced with all of the Elder's attention on him.

"Why?" Aurelius demanded. "And where have you been? You have been needed in the Hospital Wing."

"Master, forgive my absence," Vantesh said, bowing his head respectfully. "Harry sent me out to test his blood this morning. Now that he is a Vampire again, he was concerned by some of the changes he has been feeling towards not just the Humans, but all of us as well."

"What feelings?" Terin asked. "He has been acting odd. He refused to stay and unwind after our sparring session earlier."

"He refused to have sex with you?" Aurelius said with mild amusement and some shock.

Terin shook her head, blushing a bit. "Well that too, but more like be in the same room as me, Master. He was kind of cold towards me while we were sparring too, but he didn't seem angry."

"I think I may have an answer for that, Master. There's an anomaly in Harry's blood that wasn't there before. It's magical; I think in maybe a compulsion of some kind, which would explain his sudden shift in feelings for the rest of us."

"A compulsion in the blood is that even possible? I thought that compulsions were mind magic, not blood magic," Dumbledore questioned.

Snape shook his head. "It's possible of a Slayer." Most of the room turned to him. "Part of the blood oath Slayers take involves a few mild compulsions. One of them is an aversion to Vampires. It's easy to ignore, but Harry's not a typical Slayer is he? Who knows what being a Destroyer has done to those compulsions."

Dumbledore and most of the hall in fact looked like they were about to question that statement. The Elders could all sense that Harry was a marked Slayer, but it hadn't yet been put forth that he was in fact a Destroyer. Aurelius had been rather tightlipped about it whenever the subject was brought up these last couple of weeks.

"The magic I found in his blood is not in any way mild, Master," Vantesh said seriously before another argument could commence. "And it is growing."

"What do you mean it is growing?" Tanice questioned.

"I mean, Mistress, that the magic is spreading and fast. What he was feeling this morning, could already by now have been amplified by ten or more," Vantesh said earnestly.

"Perhaps it is good that he is asleep then, we have enough to worry about with these rogue Vampires," Aeolian said.

"Yes," Aurelius agreed, "But what I do not understand is yes, they have attacked members of the Clans and some of the Humans here, but they have not killed anyone, why?"

"Harry thought that there was something down there with him. Perhaps he woke a sleeping Clan, and not just the Elder that confronted Terinnia," Snape suggested.

"And survived?" Josef asked incredulously. "I did not kill him when he woke me because I knew how powerful he was and that he belonged to my brother, but an entire Clan," Josef shook his head. "Impossible. They would have found him all the more enticing because of how powerful he is."

"Then the Elder lied, and he's not sleeping, but dead?" Terin asked shakily. And Aeolian placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

…

Harry fought the command. He wanted to see, to learn more, but he was already coming out of the dream, the memory and when he opened his eyes it was to see the dark blue ones of the Vampire King and Harry just _knew_. He felt it in every part of his body, every part of his mind. This was his mate. But while every part of him was accepting him, at the same time every part of him was telling him to destroy him.

Alexandros smirked, "Welcome back, my love."

Harry shook his head in confusion. "What?"

The Vampire ran his hand through Harry's hair and Harry instinctively flinched in revulsion, he couldn't stop himself although he wanted to. He would have pulled away all together if Alexandros wasn't holding him tightly in his arms, which tightened more at Harry's movement. "Do not be like that, Kaledan, you know you brought this on yourself," he said coldly.

Harry shook his head again.

"You do not remember, I know," Alexandros said quietly. "I would hesitate to call on those memories myself. But I want you to know why; you need to remember what you did so we can stop it from happening again."

"What I did? I don't understand," Harry said crossly and tried to move from the Vampire's grasp again. "Let me go! And what did you do to me?"

"I did nothing Kaledan. _You_ had to protect your brothers," Alexandros snarled and Harry stilled.

"Why are you calling me Kaledan, my name is Harry."

Alexandros smirked again as he ran his hand down the side of Harry's face. He flinched away again. One side of him was repulsed; the other wanted to lean into the touch. He was so confused. "That is your name _now_. I do not know how many times it has changed since Cantus, _you_ imprisoned us here, but it has been many because of your sin." Harry frowned. "Now it is time you remembered."

He suddenly grabbed Harry's hand and raised his wrist to his lips. He kissed the underside of it lightly and then bit down into it. Harry hissed and then yelped when his still bloodied wrist was suddenly shoved into his own mouth.

"Drink it," Alexandros ordered and Harry couldn't resist as his blood was already sliding down his throat forcing him to swallow or choke.

As soon as his hand was released, Harry pulled it away from his mouth. "What did you do that for?" he growled, feeling his own blood sliding from the corner of his mouth.

"The blood holds more memories than the mind could ever imagine," Alexandros said and then muttered, "_Scītor__ Memorae_."

Nothing happened for a moment and then Harry's entire body went rigid in Alexandros' arms. In the next instant he went limp and Harry stared vaguely off across the room, not really seeing it or the other Vampires in it, but something else altogether. A thousand memories, a million, lifetimes worth, all at once.

"_You were nineteen when you first saw me, and I knew immediately you were __**mine**_."

Harry only half registered the words because as soon as they were spoken the memories seemed to settle on just one, and it wasn't as if he was watching through someone's eyes this time, but was actually living it. He was Kaledan, and Harry.

_He was standing at the bank of a craggy river, attempting to move the reeds out of the way with his slightly dulled sword so his horse could drink without getting tangled. His Dark Silver armor, the pride of his family, glimmered off the slowly moving water and reflected just how muddy and stained, unkempt he looked._

_Harry frowned down at his own reflection. His dark hair was tangled and wild looking, hanging almost lank around his face and shoulders and his green eyes glared at him accusingly. He rolled them. "It is your own fault, Kaledan," he said to his image, a smirk forming on his lips. And then he turned towards his horse. "And yours, Pègre," he added._

_The black horse gave him an almost affronted look and Harry laughed at him. He'd always thought the beast more intelligent than he let on. But really had he not been thrown in the first place he wouldn't be as he was now. And he wouldn't have a bleeding gash on his arm where his own sword had cut him in the fall._

_His brother's would not be happy when they saw him. It was their Lord's birthday and he was already not where he was supposed to be. And now he would be riding back into the village looking much like he'd been in a battle… or sleeping in a pig's pen. Why did these things always seem to happen to him?_

"_I am not one to usually point out a Human's flaws, but you look frightful," an amused voice came to his ears._

_Looking up across the rocky, shallow river Harry's eyes landed on a tall, regal looking figure. A Vampire. His hand tightened on his sword instinctually. He was alone and he was strong, but his training had not yet been completed and the Vampire may only be one, but… He knew he was dead, and they had not even dueled yet. His fear must have reflected in his eyes._

"_Do not worry Childe, harming you is the last thing on my mind." The next moment the Vampire was gone from the riverbank and behind him. "What is your name?" Was whispered into his ear._

_Harry swallowed. "Kaledan. Knight Kaledan of Gallegan," he said firmly and moved to face the Vampire, but was stopped by his hands on his shoulders, not touching the Dark Silver of his armor, not hurting him either._

"_A Knight of Gallegan. That will be complicated," the Vampire muttered and there was amusement in his voice. "Do you know who I am, Childe?" Harry shook his head. "Alexandros."_

_Harry's eyes widened and stared at the Vampire's reflection in the water, just behind his own. "The King of the Vampires," he gasped out. There wasn't a Slayer alive or dead who didn't know that name. And it was usually the last thing they learned._

"_And you, Kaledan, Knight of Gallegan, are my mate."_

It was almost directly after that memory ended that Harry's mind started to piece together the memories rushing through him. The introduction of his brothers at Court was relived swiftly and in perfect clarity. Thanos' rejection was a harsh one, but Allan and Mikael calmed him, convinced him to see that maybe Harry was right about the compulsion.

"_The turning will be swift, but painful. The Covenant may be broken, but your blood will not want to accept the turning. My blood will turn you though, and the pain will be but a memory when you awake."_

"_I trust you, Alexandros, my love, now make me one of you."_

The turning had been pain unlike anything he'd experience before that moment. Harry had experienced worse, far worse since then, and not all physically. Another memory slowed, this of the night he'd been killed. The _first_ night he'd been killed.

_Harry glared down at Alexandros with in his mind, but not in his heart. "I will not kill you quickly. That would be showing mercy," he threatened and then closed his eyes and shook his head, trying desperately to shake the compulsion that had led to the death around him. The death of his brothers and the Vampire Nation, and all because he had wanted a life with the Vampire at his feet._

"_Kaledan, my love. Fight it," Alexandros pleaded._

"_I cannot," he all but growled, keeping his eyes tightly closed. "Just do it before I lose control again."_

"_I do not want to kill you. We may have a chance together again, but I cannot take the chance that we will not," Alexandros argued._

"_The spell is cast my love, please, I will live again and we will be together again, but not if I kill you first!" He opened his eyes and stared down at his mate. "__**Please**__," he begged._

_Alexandros shook his head as his control on the compulsion slipped and he raised his Dark Silver sword to swing at the Vampire. A knife was buried in his heart in the next instance and he was caught by the strong arms of his love as he fell._

"_I will find you again," Alexandros promised. "We will be together again."_

And they had been, but not really. Harry had been many other people in the past. Humans mostly. Not always magical. Always a Slayer. Never a Vampire, though, not until Cantus. Harry had once thought he was turning Dark in his fifth year. He didn't know what Darkness was. Cantus – _he_ did though.

Harry couldn't reconcile with those memories. What had gone so horribly wrong to make him become,_ that_. It was the compulsion, it had to have been the compulsion. It was the only time that he'd remembered who he was before. And he'd sought out Djaq and Sarae knowing what he'd become. He'd been watching them for a long time, he'd had it planned out for years. The Prowlers were supposed to be the end of the Vampires and the Slayers and then he'd cut their strings. All but for Sarae and Djaq, who he'd made sleep, because they were different, the first and he had plans for them in the future.

But something had gone wrong. Alexandros and what was left of the Court had found and confronted him and he'd had no choice but to trap them, trapping himself in the process. Alexandros had killed him again. And there had been no other rebirths after that. Not until now.

Harry's eyes snapped to Alexandros. "What did I do? Why?"

"I cannot answer that, my love. I can only hope that I have awoken in time to stop it from happening again."

Harry pulled away from the Vampire, and this time he let him go. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? It is who you are," Alexandros said firmly.

Harry glared at him. "I am your mate, not your love. I may remember you now, but they are just memories to me. They have to be, because what I did…" Harry shook his head. "I barely know who you are now and I am not Kaledan anymore, I am Harry Potter."

Alexandros nodded solemnly. "Fair enough. My mate then for now, but we will get to know each other again. And then _you will_ be my love."

Harry's warring emotions wouldn't let him think in peace on that statement. It sounded like an order, or maybe just a fact. But there were more pressing concerns to deal with in the present than what he would be to his mate in the future.

"You are too late," he said. "The compulsion is already starting to grip at me."

"But you are fighting it?" Alexandros asked.

Harry nodded. "I am, and I will continue to until we can stop it… or you have to kill me again."

Alexandros glared lightly at him. "I would rather not. Twice is far more than enough. And I believe I have watched you die enough."

"Hear, hear," said a voice in the background and Harry finally turned his attention to the other Vampires around them. He was astonished they'd all survived him and his brothers, but they were the seven strongest, fastest and most powerful Vampires in the world, well besides Alexandros.

"The Vampire Court," Harry said in a rather lame greeting.

The last time he had seen any of them, well _he'd _never seen them before, but his memories suggested that the last time he'd seen them, was imprisoning them all here. Harry frowned as he realized whose bones were in a pile by the wall and whose blood had attracted him here in the first place. Cantus', his own.

He frowned more. "You all look rather healthy and not particularly in a Blood Rage," he pointed out. Their clothes were even new, he realized now that he took the time to notice.

Alexandros smirked. "Apparently, you waking us broke the spell that kept us here. We've all fed."

Harry's eyes widened. "You didn't kill anyone did you?" he all but demanded, accused really.

"Of course not, little Kaledan." One of the ladies spoke up. Ileana, Harry remember, amazing shot with a crossbow, aversion to frogs. Harry shook his head, the things he remembered.

"Though, your Highness, we may have caused a bit of an uproar," another said not apologetically. Jon, the first of the Court he'd been introduced to, nice enough unless on his bad side and then he put Fred and George Weasley to shame.

"What do you mean uproar?" Harry questioned, even as he ignored being called Highness.

"Well there was this petite Metamorph, barely got a taste before her Werewolf took some offense," Joleque explained, his normally blond hair taking on a light pink color in the process.

"Tonks?" Harry asked. "Wait, her Werewolf?"

"Oh definitely, his scent was all over her," he said, his hair taking on the dusty colored of Remus' and his eyes shined a bit amber in color.

Harry hadn't known at all, neither of them had mentioned it. He shook his head, it really didn't matter right now. What mattered was getting ahold of this compulsion before he decided to go on another killing spree and settling the nerves of everyone upstairs apparently.

"I really wish I had taken the time to discover how many Clans were residing here before I let them out," Alexandros said somewhat apologetically and then smirked. "Then again, my love, you did imprison us here, so any damage done, you can deal with."

Harry glared at him.

…

_**Author's Note**__: To Be Continued… Happy New Year!_


End file.
